Paths of Fate
by Fille des Prairies
Summary: Things are heating up between Remy and Rogue! After Remy comes to the mansion unintentionally, he decides to stay. He now has his sights set on the beautiful and feisty Rogue. Rated M for language and mature content. ROMY!
1. Early Morning News

**Disclaimer: Sadly, they are not mine. I do not own them, nor will I ever.**

**I really dislike the way Rogue was portrayed in the movies, therefore my Rogue is a little different. She's older, based loosely upon the Rogue from X-men: The Animated Series and she has Carol Danvers powers. It may take a while to get to the ROMY action, but believe me, when it comes, it should be good. My mind can get dirty when I want it to. Enjoy plot for now. **

Chapter 1: Early Morning News

_Rogue ran as the air around her filled with the stench of burning flesh. She ran and ran until she could run no longer. Her lungs were filled with an ashy smoke that clung to her skin. She heard her name being called in the distance, barely audible over the crackling of the flames that had exploded around her. _

_ "Oh mah God," she thought "Ah'm gonna die here, Ah'm gonna die slowly and alone."_

The blaring sound of her alarm clock was only enough to wake Rogue, it wasn't quite annoying enough to drag her out of bed. She cursed herself for deciding that it was a good idea the place the damned thing on the other end of the room. If only she had absorbed enough of Scott's power to be able to use it permanently...

"Don't start thinkin' like that" She told herself as she successfully began to tune out the ridiculously annoying sound. She could use an extra couple minutes of sleep since dreams of her past and some new unknown nightmare, had haunted her throughout the night, leaving no room for peaceful sleep. Though she had learned to ignore most of her dreams, this new one had left her wondering from where it had originated. She knew better than to let the strange and brutal nature of this dream get to her though, this morning would be bad enough as it is.

As she drifted back into sleep, she was once again disturbed by another annoying noise, one that was even worse than her alarm clock... Her cell phone.

"It's 7-freakin'-am. Who the hell is up terrorisin' the world at this hour?" She said out loud jokingly. "Well, Ah'd rather have that than a trainin' session with Logan at any rate, so Ah hope that's the case."

Rogue sat up and stretched as she yawned loudly. After working out a few kinks in her back, she finally turned to her bedside table where her cell phone lay. She yawned lazily as she picked up the phone. The message she found waiting for her was not good.

_MEET IN THE WAR ROOM ASAP! URGENT!_

Ever since cell phones had become a large part of people's daily lives, they had facilitated communication between the X-men, especially since no-one wanted to be the one to wake Rogue up on mornings like these, even Logan hesitated at the thought.

Something was up. Sheer curiosity was enough to get Rogue out of bed. Remembering her blaring alarm clock was still on, though she had easily tuned it out, Rogue smashed her hand down on it as she walked by. Hearing a loud crunching sound as her hand made contact, she swore to herself as she remembered her "other" powers. It had been years since she had absorbed Carol Danvers but sometimes when she was tired, had just woken up or something was bothering her, she seemed to forget she had them and things got broken.

Today just happened to be one of those days that all three of those things were happening to her at once. She picked up the garbage can sitting by the door and using her free hand swept the remnants of the clock into it.

"Guess it's time for another new one" she sighed.

She made her way into her small private bathroom. After quickly splashing cold water on her face in an attempt to wake herself up, she grabbed a hair brush and tried to pull it through her mass of curls. Sighing, she settled on a hair elastic and pulled her hair into a messy bun. She quickly changed her clothes and pulled on her brown gloves. Though she had gained quite a bit more control over her powers over the last couple months, she still didn't trust herself completely and she wasn't willing to take any chances.

She made her way down to the war room, quickly making a pit stop in the kitchen to grab a plain bagel to satisfy her grumbling stomach. As she made her way through the doors of the war room, she realized she was the last to arrive.

"Sorry y'all, I had a battle with my alarm clock this mornin'. Had to do a quick clean-up"

"Please take your seat Rogue; I have an important mission to discuss with all of you." said Professor Charles Xavier from his spot across the room.

Rogue took her seat and began to pick at her bagel. "What could possibly be so urgent at this hour, did Jean not get her morning cup of coffee?" She chuckled to herself slightly as she stole a glance at the fiery redhead who had turned to look at her. Rogue straightened herself in her chair as she realized the telepath must have heard her name in her thoughts. "Whoops. Alright Rogue let's get serious now" she reminded herself.

Professor X activated the hologram machine at the centre of the war room table and indicated to the image that appeared. There in front of Rogue, stood a very attractive holographic man. He wore a long trench coat and combat boots. He had long reddish hair that was pulled back into a pony tail, but none of this was as striking as when Rogue noticed his eyes, his oh-so unique eyes. Red on black. Red irises with black sclera. They were demonic almost, but Rogue found something attractive in them.

"This is Remy Lebeau, also known as Gambit. He is a world-class thief and a dangerous mutant, which can be a deadly combination." The professor began. "From what I've been able to find he has multiple powers including the ability to charge molecules and cause them to explode as well as empathy and strong mental blocks, which means I cannot get into his mind. He also has a faster than normal healing rate, not quite as fast as you Logan, but still much faster than the average person."

Logan grunted at the mention of his name. He had leaned on the wall behind Rogue and was chewing on the end of his cigar, vaguely interested in what the professor was saying. Rogue watched her old friend as voices began to rise throughout the room. People were starting to wonder as to where the whole description of this captivating mutant was leading. It was Scott who voiced the mutual question shared by everyone in the room.

"Professor where is this all going?" asked Scott, also known as Cyclops.

"X-men... I need you to capture this man."


	2. More Questions Than Answers

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, never have, never will.**

Chapter 2:

* * *

><p>"Capture him? But why Professor?" exclaimed Rogue. "Ah've never even heard of this man, what could he possibly be doin' that would make us want to capture him?"<p>

"Perhaps capture was not exactly the best word to describe this predicament, Rogue. Detain him for questioning may be a more suitable way to put it."

"Professor, I can't help but agree with Rogue" said Scott, "Capturing or detaining people for questioning, no matter how you put it, isn't exactly the X-men's style, especially without a reason..."

"Oh but there is a reason, isn't there Chuck? I can feel it, you're just not sure if you should tell us." Growled Wolverine from his place against the wall.

"If you're hiding something from us Professor, you must have a very good reason for it" said Jean Grey.

Rogue was finding this all very odd. She'd known the Professor for several years now and as far as she knew he hid nothing but his most dire pieces of information. So that meant that something extremely important or frightening was going to happen unless they spoke to this mutant.

"It's bad, isn't it Professor?" asked Rogue quietly.

"Yes, my dear Rogue, it seems to look that way." Replied the Professor.

"A couple months ago, I acquired the diaries of a certain mutant who had the power to tell the future. This mutant, known as Destiny, kept these diaries as a way to keep track of her visions and to revisit them if necessary." He began. At the name Destiny, Rogue tensed up. He couldn't possibly mean her Destiny, her Auntie Irene, could he? "Near the end of her last diary, Destiny speaks of a mutant with jet-black and red eyes who is hired by an unknown mutant to trigger the final war between mutants and humans. She could not identify when or what but her vague description of the trigger mutant was unique enough to allow me to find this man. Her visions of what was to come after the war were catastrophic, it is absolutely necessary to intercept this man before he has a chance to complete his task."

"So he hasn't done anythin' yet then? He's still an innocent man?"exclaimed Rogue.

"Rogue, please remember who we are dealing with. This man steals for a living. He is a paid thief who does not care who he hurts in the process as long as he gets his pay." The professor explained calmly. "You will be our biggest asset on this mission since it will be impossible for a telepath to penetrate his mental blocks and gain access to his mind. You will be the only one who can see what he has been hired to do."

"But Professor, how do you know he has already been hired to perform this task? Or that he hasn't already completed it?"Asked Scott.

"In Destiny's diaries she wrote of several natural disasters that occurred just before this war began. We have already experienced two of the three disasters and from what I understand, the third is to take place very soon in South America. An earthquake, I believe."

"So shouldn't we be heading to South America to prevent thousands of people from dying? Isn't that more important than capturing one man?" Argued Scott.

"Scott, if we do not apprehend this man before the earthquake takes place, then I fear we shall never catch him. If that was to happen, then war would break loose and very few will survive the Apocalypse that would follow. Destiny was very clear when she described the aftermath. Whole countries will perish; anyone who survives will be wiped out due to a lack of food and clean water. Everything that we have fought for will cease to exist. Our world will become a wasteland."

"What about the mutant that hires this Gambit? Why don't we just go after them, they must know what will happen." Suggested Rogue.

"He has already hired Gambit to act as the trigger. Everything is already in motion. We must act quickly in order to stop him." Replied the Professor.

Rogue slammed her fist down on the console in front of her, causing the hologram Gambit to shake. She couldn't believe that the Professor was sending them on a wild goose chase to find a mutant that was probably one of the hardest mutants to find and they had no clue where to start.

"This is bullshit! We have no idea where to start, how to find him or how to track him! Where the hell are we supposed to find this guy?" She exclaimed.

Before the Professor could even answer, Storm spoke for the first time, "I can find him."

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile...<strong>

Remy Lebeau or Gambit as he was also known, was just leaving the California business of one of his new "associates". The man was offering him 5 million dollars, cash, just to kidnap the daughter of the President of the United States. Gambit wasn't big on getting innocent people involved, someone always got hurt, he'd much rather deal with that bastard they called a President than with the man's daughter. When he brought that up to his associate, the man laughed and told him that he needed the President in office to make the final call. After Gambit was assured that no harm would come to the girl, she was only 14 after all, he shook the man's hand and the deal was set.

"Easy money" he thought to himself. Sure, the President probably had an extensive personal guard surrounding his family at all times these days, with the threat of mutant attacks and all, but most of the attacks were by lesser mutants, trying to make a point and never really succeeding. Those guards had never dealt with anything like Gambit. Well, that was if they even saw him. He could be in and out of that place in ten minutes flat without even waking the girl.

All he needed now was a contact who knew the White House well and perhaps even had plans to it and he knew just the mutant for the job.

* * *

><p>"What are you talking about Storm? Do you know this man?" asked the Professor.<p>

Storm slowly nodded her head and looked up at all the X-men. "There was a time in my life when I did things that I am not proud of. As you all know, when I was much younger I was a street thief, it was necessary for my survival. But several years later, even after I had come to the institute, I went through a period of depression and loneliness which led me to leave the school for a year. While wandering the streets in New Orleans, looking for a place to stay, I came across a young man wearing sunglasses who was mysteriously friendly. I soon realized that he had stolen my wallet right out of the only bag I had. I was so quick to catch him, since I knew the tricks of the trade of course, that he returned my wallet and offered to show me around. He told me his name and explained his background, not in detail mind you, but enough for me to understand. He told me of the Thieves Guild and the feud with the Assassins Guild."

"Where is this going Storm?" interrupted Rogue.

"All in time, my friend." Assured Storm. "This young man that quickly became like a brother to me is Remy Lebeau or Gambit. I spent 10 months out of that year I was gone, moving around with him and working together. When he discovered I was a mutant, he revealed to me that he was as well and that was the first time I had seen him without his sunglasses."

She sighed and looked at the Professor. "I can help you find him Charles, but he is not to be harmed, he is very dear to me."

"Understood Ororo. And now, how shall we find him?"


	3. Memories

**Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything. I simply put my spin on it.**

**Starts off with a lot of boring plot, which is sadly necessary to get to the steamy bits. But I've added a little surprise near the end. Some background on my Rogue, which is a combination of a bunch of different things. Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: Memories

* * *

><p>"From what I understand, Professor, Cerebro can find any mutant in the world, but that can be a lengthy process if you do not know where to start, correct?" Storm stated.<p>

"Yes Storm. So are you saying you can give us a general location to begin looking?" the Professor replied.

"Not necessarily. What I can do is tell where not to look. Gambit is wanted by several circles in many different cities. He is a smart man who is very easily recognizable. He will not return to any city where there is a price on his head." Storm explained.

"That could be quite helpful. If Gambit is not currently using his powers, it will be much more difficult to locate him, so your information will be very useful."

"Well, let us begin with New Orleans itself. The Assassins Guild will not let Remy even set foot in the city; which also rules out most of Louisiana, though it his home state, he would not risk being so near to the guild. There is also a price on his head in Atlanta, a mob boss there did not seem to like him very much." Storm began. "Remy likes the South, I doubt we'll find him in the North, he rarely does business here unless he is being paid quite a sum, but it would be a good idea to look in New York City since it is the one place he did do business when he came North, and he has quite a few associates in the city."

"So search the South first then New York City. Could he possibly be out of the country?" the professor asked.

"I doubt it. He was never big on out of country missions. He believed he lost his home-turf advantage. Another thing is that he is most likely West of Louisiana, since it is too dangerous for him to travel through the states where there is a price on his head. He also prefers to drive so it should be easy to intercept him when we do find him."

"Thank you for this valuable information Ororo, I know this must not be easy for you." said the Professor.

"I love him dearly, but if the fate of the entire world is in his hands, I must do what has to be done for the greater good." replied Storm.

The Professor and Storm left to locate this Gambit using Cerebro, Rogue took this as her cue to leave.

* * *

><p>Rogue made her way back up to the main floor of the school, her mind deep in thought. It was now about 9am and there were students making their way through the halls. The high-pitched giggles of some of the younger girls rang through the air.<p>

This was her home, everyone here was her family. The idea of losing all this frightened her badly. Though she despised using her powers to gather information because she usually ended up with an excess of thoughts in her mind, she would do it on this mission since she believed it was the only way to find out what was going on.

She made her way up to her room and looked at the pictures on her shelves. A picture of her and Logan never ceased to amuse her. Jean had surprised them both and had snapped the picture before either of them could object. Logan had a look of surprise on his face that completely contradicted his usual gruff exterior. A picture of Rogue and Kitty Pryde was next; Kitty was like Rogue's younger sister, though they had completely different personalities, Kitty really understood Rogue and knew when to push a matter and when to just leave Rogue alone.

Rogue had never really had a family. When she was much younger she did, but as soon as her powers had manifested and she had put poor Cody in a coma, they had completely disowned her and she ran away. Then came her time with the Brotherhood; Rogue had felt like she belonged, like she was accepted since they were all mutants. It was after she had absorbed Carol Danvers that she realized she was being used by Mystique to further her agenda. Rogue didn't like being used and that was she decided to leave the Brotherhood.

She had wandered around aimlessly until Professor Xavier had come to her and offered her a place as an X-man. Her initial reaction was to refuse, this must be another trap, she had thought to herself, they want to use me, just like Mystique did. She soon came to realize that the Professor was sincere in saying that he just wanted help her and so she had agreed to join the team.

As soon as she has made the Xavier Institute her home, the Professor had insisted on starting sessions to help her control her powers. Once a week they met so he could help her sort out the tangled mess of voices and personalities in her head but also to learn how to stop her power from drawing the life force and thoughts of another if she didn't want to. She could now borrow another mutant's powers without absorbing them completely. The reverse was also true. After an incident with a mutant who could not control his power, she had learned the importance of drawing just enough life force to put someone to sleep. She had managed to get a hold of this mutant and draw enough energy out him that he did not release an energy blast that would have destroyed everything for miles.

Her favourite target was Logan; even if she made a mistake and absorbed a little too much, he could heal himself quite quickly and be fine within minutes. After weeks of using him as a guinea pig, Rogue had finally begun to absorb his powers without harming him at all. As a result she had acquired a permanent healing factor, not quite as fast as his, but fast enough that between it and Carol's powers, she was quite useful in battle.

After she had mastered absorbing solely powers, she moved on to trying to touch someone without absorbing anything at all. This was a slow process that took much effort and she was just beginning to be able to touch Logan for 5 seconds without feeling the draw of her powers. It was exhilarating to be so close to something she never thought she'd be able to do. She reminded herself constantly not to get to ahead of herself though, she didn't want to make all this progress and then be disappointed if the outcome isn't what she expected.

Rogue pulled on her green and yellow body suit and stood in front of her mirror. She figured that since she now had a healing factor like Logan's that she wouldn't age as much as others. Though for the time being, she still looked her age. "25 years old," she thought "and closer than I've ever been to being able to touch a man." The thought of having a relationship still frightened her since the first and only boy she had ever kissed, had just recently awoken from the coma she had put him in ten years earlier.

Sometimes she had dreams about an unknown man professing his love for her as he held her gently in his arms. The dreams always took the same path. He would kiss her gently, one of his hands running up and down her back, the other tangled in her hair. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as she deepened the kiss, hungry for the taste of his lips. As their kisses grow more passionate, he would pick her up and carry her to her bed. He would slowly undress her pulling each item of clothing off and then savouring the new sight. She feels him wanting her and she wants him. After she is completely naked on the bed, he rushes to take his own clothing off. He places kisses strategically all over her body and as she moans in pleasure, he takes one of her breasts in his hand and massages it as he breathes hot air over her sensitive nipple.

"I want you more than I've ever wanted anything" he says to her and she moans her agreement.

As he positions himself at her entrance, ready to enter her for the first time, she awakens. She always wakes up at this part. It is as if her subconscious is teasing her, as if it doesn't want her to fully experience it through a dream. But it doesn't feel like a dream ever, it always feels completely real. Except for the fact that she never sees this mans face, it is always a shadow, no matter how hard she tries to see it.

The only reason she knows it isn't real is because when she awakens, she is always alone.


	4. Bad Beginnings for Old Friends

**Let me clarify that I am French, not cajun so writing a cajun accent wasn't exactly simple, sorry if I butchered it. I promise I'll get better with time. So please enjoy and R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. Maybe one day I will make up my own character just to say that I own them, but not yet.**

Chapter 4: Bad Beginnings for Old Friends

As Rogue closed the door to her room, the Professor's voice rang through her mind, _"I have found our friend Gambit. He is moving quickly but we have determined that he is heading to New York City. Please head to the Blackbird."_

"Shit, Ah wonder if Ah'll have time to speak to the Professor, these dreams are gettin' way too real" She muttered to herself.

"Hey Rogue! Wait up!" Yelled Kitty from across the hall.

"Oh Kitty, you comin' with? Rogue asked absent mindedly. "Of course she's comin', she's an X-men too" She reminded herself.

"Well duh! Did you see the mutant we're supposed to be catching? He's fucking hot! Except for those eyes though, they're dark and mysterious and all, but man they're a little too creepy for me."

Rogue nodded, still lost in her thoughts. She had just realized that she would have to touch this mutant draw on his memories and his thoughts to find out what he was up to. This was difficult for her, since there was no guarantee what she would get memory-wise from this man.

The two girls made their way down to basement level of the mansion where the Blackbird was parked. Everyone was there except for Logan. Rogue saw the Professor off to one side speaking with Scott. When Scott nodded then walked away, Rogue seized her chance.

"Professor, could Ah speak with yah please?" She asked him.

"Of course Rogue, but we should make it quick since we are about to leave."

"It's about mah dreams Charles, they're gettin' really weird, really descriptive. They feel real..."

"Rogue, I think that after reading Destiny's diaries, I may have an answer for you. I know about your time with the Brotherhood. Did you by chance ever touch Destiny? Even for the briefest moment?"

Rogue thought for a moment and she realized where this was going. "One day, we were out for a walk and grabbed mah arm suddenly. Ah didn't see it comin' at all and she grabbed a part of my arm that wasn't covered. Ah think she was havin' a vision. The contact was so brief that Ah barely felt anythin'."

"I believe that since we began our sessions to install mental blocks to help you control the personalities in your head, the tiny piece of Destiny that was hidden away became active. These visions you are having while you dream may very well be the future. When we return you will need to tell me about them specifically."

Rogue nodded her head slowly. It really did make sense. She knew the dreams were too real to just be dreams; they were visions of the future. "Then the man... He must be real as well!" She thought. If the Professor was correct than someone may someday be able to touch her. The idea was exhilarating.

As she boarded the jet, thoughts kept running through her mind. This had to be too good to be true. She was able to control her powers, yes, but only with extreme amounts of concentration. But then again, she had never thought she would make it this far...

* * *

><p>Remy drove as fast as he could. Speed limits did not worry him. He could break out of any cell they out him in, talk himself out of almost any situation, he wasn't concerned about the police.<p>

But he was concerned about a certain group of mutants who called themselves the X-men.

His informant in New York said that these X-men had their noses in everyone's business which most likely included his own. His thoughts went to Ororo. He knew she was a member of this group, so they couldn't be all bad but he knew that they also fought for peace between humans and mutants so they most likely would not want him fulfilling his mission.

Remy knew that what he was doing would most likely cause a war between the mutants and the humans. He wasn't stupid. He knew who the man who had hired him was. With his big helmet and his all-knowing way of speaking it was most definitely Magneto. The master of magnetism had done some pretty low things before but Remy doubted that he usually went as low as abducting 14 year old girls.

Not that Remy normally did things this low. He was a thief, not a kidnapper, but he needed the money desperately. He needed to pay off some big debts that would keep the asshole card sharks that were on his tail off of him for the time being. Not that it would matter much once there was a war.

As he drove down the highway, lost in his never-ending thoughts, the weather turned from a beautiful, sunny day so rapidly into a raging storm, that he had no doubt who was behind it. So they had finally found him. He figured it wouldn't take them long, even with his mental blocks it wouldn't take ages for one of the most powerful telepaths in the world to find him.

"Oh Stormy. You never could keep yo' hands out of another homme's business or portefeuille, whichever came first." He said to himself.

There she was, the weather witch herself, beautiful as ever. Her eyes were glazed over white. She floated in the air in front of him and behind her he saw several other mutants.

"Merde" He thought. " Dis is gonna be a good fight."

"Remy!" He heard Storm yell, "Please come with us willingly, we do not wish to fight you. We just wish to speak with you."

"Sorry ma chère, Stormy. Je ne peux pas. J'ai trop de choses à faire. "

"Remy, please. I don't want to hurt you!"

Remy stepped out of the convertible he was driving. This would definitely put a dent in his plans but he wasn't one of the best thieves around for nothing. He could get himself out of almost any situation. He quickly scanned the mutants behind Storm. Including her, there were seven of them that he could see; there may have even been more in the jet they had come in but he wouldn't worry about that now.

From inside his long brown trenchcoat he pulled out his bo staff. In both his pockets he could feel the two decks of cards he kept on him at all times. With a quick flick of his wrist, his staff was fully extended and ready to be charged when needed. He felt the fog around him thicken as his vision became limited. He quickly adjusted his eyes to the changing light until he could see as clearly as if it were day. Ahead of him were 3 mutants, one wearing a visor, the other a cute redhead with gorgeous legs and the last, a grouchy looking man with a bad haircut. He looked around him knowing that the other four mutants would have surrounded him as soon as the fog had come in. He charged his staff and slammed it into the ground causing it to shake for several feet around him. He saw a few of the mutants stumble and he took his chance. As quickly as he could he grabbed the deck from his right pocket and charged it, then threw the charged cards around him in a circle. He heard one make contact. As he turned to the last mutant; he saw a girl of no older than 23, he flung the card at her and waited for it to make contact, but it never did. She had completely disappeared he looked down and saw her rising from the ground and grabbed his legs and pulled them back down with her.

Now, he was stuck, there was nothing he could do about. He continued to fling his charged cards hoping to buy himself some time. But soon enough there was a gorgeous girl with dark hair and white streaks standing in front of him. He didn`t have time to react before her hand was on his face. Then all he saw was darkness.

* * *

><p>When he awoke, he was surrounded by unfamiliar faces and Storm.<p>

"Stormy," he mumbled as he came to.

"I'm sorry Gambit but we did what we had to, seeing as you would not come willingly." She told him.

As Remy pulled himself up, he assessed his surroundings. He soon realized that they were flying. He knew they meant to keep it this way until they got whatever they wanted from him. It would make his escape a lot more difficult.

A man in a wheelchair sat directly in front of him, a small smile on his face.

"Hello Gambit. My name is Professor Charles Xavier. We wanted to speak to you about a certain mission you were hired to accomplish."

"Der is no way in hell dat Ah am gonna tell you anythin'" He stated, "And you sure as hell ain't gettin' into mah tête."

"Gambit, I would like to warn you that, though it is not a normal occurrence we have ways of getting around your incompliance, be it mental or verbal." Wheelchair guy waved his hand over at the gorgeous girl with the white streaks in her hair. "Rogue has her methods"

The girl, Rogue as wheels had called her, looked at him sadly and nodded. Obviously she wasn't happy about what she had to do but he knew she would go through with it. He shuddered at the thought, remembering what had happened the last time.

"Come on Chuck, he ain't gonna tell us anything so we might as well get it over with." The grouchy looking man with the bad haircut said.

"We will give him his chance. That is only fair." Wheels said.

"Ah'm not sayin' anythin', der's nothin' you can do"

"Rogue." Wheels nodded at Gorgeous.

"Ma belle, der isn't a woman in da world who wouldn't want to get der hands on dis man" Gambit smiled slyly.

"Shut up Swamp Rat, this'll hurt me just as much as you." She replied.

Swamp Rat? That wasn't very nice, but coming from her, it sounded sexy, and he liked it.

He realized that she was wearing gloves and was slowly pulling one off. As she reached her hand towards his face he gulped. She sighed as her hand made contact with his face.

* * *

><p>Rogue felt a rush of emotions fill her head. She held on just long enough to get what she was looking for; a memory of a meeting with a man, 5 million dollars and a plan. But before she could pull away, another memory hit her first.<p>

A young Remy ran through the streets crying. He couldn't have been more than 6 years old. He was being chased and there was nothing he could do. He had stolen the wrong man's wallet and not only did the man want his wallet back, he wanted the little shit who had taken it. Remy tried to be strong, tried to stop crying but he couldn't. He ran and ran until he could run no longer. He collapsed on the ground and sobbed into his arms. This was it. He was going to die. The irrational thoughts of a six year old overwhelmed all logic he knew.

His terror was so real, that it engulfed Rogue and she finally pulled her hand away. As she did, she fell to the ground and sobbed, just like the frightened little boy had done all those years prior.


	5. Identity Revealed

**Another clarification: My Rogue has never encountered Magneto in person so she does not know what he looks like. She has heard of him and knows who he is but since no names are used during the meeting with Remy, she has no idea who the man is.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned the X-men, I would not be a lowly university student working 3 jobs with a full course load. So... I don't own them because that is all true.**

Chapter 5:

Remy couldn't tell whether it was day or night when he finally woke up. He was in a brightly lit room that slightly resembled a hospital; not that he'd know much about those, he'd spent a good part of his life avoiding them. There were no windows on any of the walls so he assumed he was in a basement. As he was planning his impending escape, a large blue, fur-covered man walked through the door.

"Ah, I see my patient has finally awoken, how wonderful that you have decided to join us." The blue man said.

"What da hell is going on? Where am I?" Remy demanded. "And who da hell are you?"

"Oh, I am quite sorry about not introducing myself; my name is Hank McCoy or Beast as I am referred to in the mutant community. You are in what we call the Med-Lab, being treated for the lovely little nap you took after Rogue touched you." Hank told him. "You are at the Xavier's institute for Gifted Youngters."

"Xavier huh? Dat be wheels?" Remy muttered. "How long Ah been out?"

"Almost 3 days. Rogue held on a little longer than she meant to. She was a little traumatized after she finally let go, so my guess is she got pulled into a rather emotional memory of yours." Big Blue replied.

"Trois jours? Merde. When do you t'ink Ah could get out of dis place?"

"Oh my friend. It is not normally our way to keep someone here against their will but you must see that these are special circumstances. I cannot allow you to leave" Big Blue sighed sadly. "I truly am sorry, but there is nothing I can do."

"And now, if you could please excuse me, I would like to take your stats, just to make sure you have fully recovered. " Big Blue asked.

Remy was about to object, he didn't want this man knowing too much about him, about his powers, but he soon realized that he had been out for three days now, there had been plenty of time for Big Blue to run tests on him.

"Alright."

* * *

><p>The moment they had arrived back at the mansion and Rogue had finally calmed down from her experience with Gambit's memories, the Professor insisted that she tell them what was going on. Rogue told him of the plan to kidnap the President's daughter. Rogue could not identify the man who had hired Gambit and when the Professor offered to read her mind and see if he knew who it was, she refused.<p>

Remy's memory was still at the front of her mind. She couldn't get it out of her thoughts. It was way too personal; she didn't want the Professor seeing it. She trusted the Professor with her life, but this memory wasn't hers to entrust. She felt a connection with Gambit, she felt as if he would understand her pain if she could just talk to him. From what she knew, he didn't have a family either. He was just like her, orphaned because of his mutation, though his abandonment had happened very early on in life because of his eyes.

* * *

><p>"Erik, I am quite concerned about this plan to kidnap the President's daughter. I would warn him of any further attacks on his family but he is quite adamant in his hatred of mutants, he would probably see it as more of a threat from my X-men than anything." Charles Xavier said to his old friend Erik Lensherr through a video conference.<p>

"My dear Charles, you have apprehended the man who was to attempt the kidnapping. You needn't worry any longer. I am sure the threat has passed." Said the other man.

"You are probably right Erik..."

* * *

><p>Rogue made her way down to the Med-Lab to apologize to Gambit. She felt terrible about what she had done to him. She had never meant to delve so deep into his memories. All she wanted was the one about his mission. She couldn't believe how stupid she felt. She had put the man in a coma for 3 days, all because she couldn't let go in time. What if she had held on any longer? What if she wasn't able to pull away when she did? What ifs were flying through her mind at high speed as she stepped off of the elevator into the basement.<p>

As she opened the door to the Med-Lab, she gasped. He was gone. She had to find him. Where else would he be? He must be trying to escape. This was all her fault! She hadn't come in time to talk to him, to explain to him what she had done. He was probably confused and starving, wandering around the mansion looking for a way out. Away from her.

The elevator took what felt like ages to make it up to the main floor. It took every ounce of willpower in her body not to use Carol's powers to break through the top of the elevator and fly up the shaft. When she finally made it up, she was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even think about bursting into the Professor's office without knocking.

She pushed open the doors to reveal a startled Professor and an even more startled man on a large screen in front of the Professor. It took her several moments to realize that she recognized this man but it took several more moments for her to realize from where.

"YOU! Yah're the one who hired Remy!" She screamed. She was fuming. Here was the Professor having what seemed like a civilized conversation with the one person they were trying to track down.

"Erik? Is it true what she says?" The Professor asked with a tinge of hurt in his voice.

"I am sorry Charles, sorry that it had to come to this." With that, the man on the screen disappeared as the connection was severed.

"Who the hell was that Professor?" Rogue yelled, furious that she trusted the Professor.

"An old friend, Rogue." The Professor sighed sadly.

"Remy's missin'. He's not in the Med-Lab." Rogue had almost forgotten why she had burst in, but as soon as she remembered it was all she could think about. "He's gone."

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile...<strong>

Jean and Ororo made themselves comfortable on one of the couches in the Rec room. They had just returned from a recruiting mission that had proved futile and were rather exhausted from their efforts.

Jean turned on the T.V and flicked through several channels before falling on the news. These days, the news was filled with mutant attacks, mutant riots, murders and just general violence towards mutants. They were listening to a story about mutant riots in California when Jean remembered something she meant to tell Ororo.

"Did you hear that your friend Remy had finally woken up from his little nap?" She asked Ororo.

"No! I must go see him at once." Storm exclaimed.

Before she could move, the words "Breaking News!" flashed across the screen. A pretty, blonde reporter stood in front of the White House. She nodded her head and looked towards the camera.

"I am standing here in front of the White House, where the President is preparing to declare war against all mutants unless his 14 year old daughter is returned to him, unharmed, within the next 12 hours." The reporter paused as she listened to her earpiece. "It is said that she was kidnapped by a teleporting mutant who made their way into the White House and then into the room of the young girl. She was not discovered as missing until several minutes later, when her mother, the First Lady, went to say good night. Reports of a teleporting mutant being seen throughout the grounds with the girl were given moments later. "

"Oh my god, Kurt?" Ororo looked at Jean, terrified that their dear friend was involved somehow.

"No. I just contacted him telepathically and he is still in Germany visiting his family." Jean replied.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile...<strong>

Remy had made his way out of the Med-Lab without a problem. As he watched Big Blue leave, he listened and observed the key pad code that he entered. After a few moments, just to be sure that Big Blue was truly gone. He went to the door and put in the exact numbers Big Blue had put in. The door opened slowly and he made his way out of the room.

This was going to be the hard part. He had been unconscious the only time he had been down this hallway, so it was going to take a little extra hard work to get out. It wasn't impossible though. He had planned on getting in and out of the White House, how hard could this be.

He observed his surroundings and realized that there were not any stairs, just a door at the end of the hallway. "Must be de elevator." He thought. When he reached the door, he found yet another keypad. He entered the same code as before and the doors opened for him. Seeing that no one was inside, he slid in. Wary that this could be tricky, he pressed the button 'M', what he assumed would be the main floor. As the elevator began to move, he braced himself for whoever may present themselves at its opening.

When the doors finally opened, he found himself alone. It was too early to bless his luck but he was grateful. He peered down the hallway; looking both ways to be sure that no one was coming. This place was quite large. He made his way down one hall and then turned down another. He cursed himself when he heard laughter and voices making their way down the hall. He quickly turned down another hallway to get out of their way. As he crept through the halls, he periodically glanced over his shoulder certain someone was following him.

He moved through the hallways quietly, turning and twisting until he finally turned down a hall and all he saw was a doorway at the end. As he turned to make his way back, he saw the grouchy man with the bad hair cut standing in front of him.

"Thought I smelled a rat," Grouchy said.

"Mon ami, let's talk this through." Remy said as his hands went into his pockets. "Merde!" Big Bluemust have taken the cards out of his pockets. He was going to have to improvise. Beside him was a table upon which stood a decorative vase. Remy smiled slightly at the fact that people were predictable, with their knick-knacks and decorations. He grabbed the vase and charged. He didn't wait for an invitation as he launched it towards Grouchy man.

The vase shattered into thousands of tiny pieces, each sharper than the last. Remy watched as the pierced Grouchy's flesh and blood seeped from his wounds. Remy took his chance and attempted to race past him. He was about two feet from Grouchy when he heard the clink of metal, he looked up to see that Grouchy's wounds were healing , expelling the pieces of vase as they did. Coming out of his hands were three long metal claws.

"Don't move, rat. Or I'll slice your head off and I won't hesitate."

Remy swallowed. No reason to get his head chopped off. He could find another way out of here. He stopped in his tracks and looked at the man standing in front of him.

"Yah should really get a better haircut."

* * *

><p>The Professor was just about to ask Rogue some questions about her intrusion when someone else pushed open the doors. There stood Storm and Jean. Both their faces were ashen as if they had just heard terrible news.<p>

"Charles, someone else completed the mission. They managed to kidnap the girl." Storm said gravely.

The Professor shook his head. So, he had failed. Destiny's diaries had never mentioned another, though it should not surprise him since he had intervened with fate. There most definitely would have been consequences.

Before he could say anything, Wolverine burst through the door, his claws drawn on the smug looking Cajun.

"I found a rat in the hallway" Wolverine looked at Rogue who looked excited to see the dirty Cajun. "Gumbo here thought he'd go for a walk."

"Well Remy, it seems as if someone else had completed the mission you set out to accomplish." Charles said.

As everyone stared at the Professor, anticipating the next step or at least the beginnings of a plan, he just turned to the window and looked out sadly.

"Oh Erik, what have you done." He said, barely audible to those who stood around him.

* * *

><p><strong>Please review! I adore reviews. They make me feel all warm and bubbly inside. Any suggestions or ideas will be taken into consideration. I have a vague idea where this is all going, but normally I make it up as I go along. So any ideas would be greatly appreciated! I hope yoou enjoyed!<strong>


	6. Falling Into Place

**Author's note: I pulled out my back at work yesterday, so I wasn't able to go in today. Since there really isn't much for me to do in this state, you may see a couple chapters in the next little while. I am having way too much fun writing this. Thanks to all those who have already reviewed. Your words of encouragement are greatly appreciated and make me feel like I am writing something that people enjoy reading. Continue with your lovely words please and I'll continue writing!**

**Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. One is coming in the very near future that will and she will definitely play a big part ;)**

Chapter 6:

Charles Xavier, who was always ready with an answer for everything was at a loss for words. He truly did not know what to do. He realized that Remy had been used as a distraction and that Magneto must have known all about Destiny's diaries but how?

"Mystique." He concluded rather loudly, more loudly than he had anticipated. His eyes feel upon Rogue who made a startled noise at the mention of her adoptive mother's name.

"Remy was just a distraction. Magneto used him to keep us busy and to keep us thinking that we had put a stop to this. It's all beginning to come together. Why he encouraged me not to inform the President, why he seemed so glad that we had gotten to Remy in time." The Professor sighed. "You were never meant to make it to the White House Remy, if we had not succeeded, Magneto would have found another way to dispose of you."

"But what about Mystique?" Rogue demanded.

"Mystique is the link between Destiny and her diaries and Magneto. There is no way that he could have known that we would be looking for Remy without previous knowledge of the diaries. Mystique was quite close with Destiny up until her death. I doubt it was no mistake that I came across her diaries. Mystique meant for it to happen; it has been the plan all along."

"Remy thought it was all a little weird how Metal head managed to find me. Remy doesn't usually go around advertisin' his services to de world. And Mystique, dis be de blue lady? She de one dat found me in de bar, pretty blonde she was. Told me she had somet'in she wanted Remy to do."

"This entire thing has been a set up to keep the X-men out the way. Magneto played us all as fools." Charles' features darkened. "He was always one of my greatest friends, no matter our differences, I trusted him even though our opinions vastly differed."

"Professor... What do we do next?" Asked Scott uncertainly, "If we are at the brink of war, shouldn't we be preparing?"

"Scott, I think Hank and I have a meeting to arrange in Washington."

* * *

><p>Rogue walked slowly up the steps. This was all happening so quickly. First, they had captured the man they were so certain would be responsible for their impending doom just to find out that they had all been played as fools. Secondly, she wasn't sure how she felt about the Swamp Rat's decision to stay at the mansion.<p>

After Charles and Hank had discussed their plan of action regarding their meeting with the President to discuss his daughter's kidnapping and to give him their assurances that the majority of the mutant community did not back this action, the Professor had turned to Remy. Wolverine still grasped his arm tightly, though he had retracted his claws. The Professor had apologized for Magneto's actions and offered the thief a place to stay.

Rogue was sure the man would turn down the Professor; Ororo had said several times that Remy was not a man to stay in one place for very long at all. He preferred to be on the move constantly to avoid getting caught. Rogue wasn't sure at first but she suspected it may have something to do with her. He saw the sideways glances he gave her and when he caught her looking at him, he would give her a quick wink.

"Ah t'ink dat Ah'm gonna accept yur offer, Monsieur Xavier. Since Ah really have no other place to go right now. Et vous avez des très belles femmes ici." Charles chuckled at the last bit and Ororo glared at Remy. Being the only two in the room who could fluently understand French, they were the only ones that understood.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here Gambit and if Rogue is feeling up to it, I'm sure she wouldn't mind showing you around."

* * *

><p>After everyone had left the room Ororo approached Remy and spoke to him for the first time since he had awoken.<p>

"It really is good to see you my friend. I am sorry that it had to happen the way it did though." She apologized.

"Don't be sorry Stormy, you did what 'cha had to do. Hell, you t'ought I was gonna start World War III." Remy laughed as he put a hand lovingly on her shoulder.

"Well, I am glad you have decided to stay, but I must warn you, Rogue is very dear to us all and she has just learned to control her powers after 10 years of not being able to touch anyone. She is not some girl you sleep with once and then toss to the side. If you break her heart, I will strike you down with lightening."

Remy could tell she wasn't kidding. He could always tell. He nodded solemnly as looked in the direction that Rogue had gone. "Don't you worry Stormy, Ah can feel dat dis one is special. Plus, she's mighty pretty and Ah can tell she got a temper. Ah don't know who Ah'm more scared of, you or her."

"It had better be her, you might survive if I strike you with lightening but if she decides she wants to, she could kill you with just touch. Please think about that before you start chasing after her."

Remy gulped. They really were serious about this Rogue girl being dangerous. Not that danger had ever stopped him. He had married Belladonna, an Assassin, and then killed her brother at their wedding. Remy was well aware of the danger surrounding him and he liked the challenge.

* * *

><p>Rogue heard footsteps behind her and she turned around rapidly. Standing behind her was Gambit wearing the fakest innocent expression on his face that she had ever seen.<p>

"Well hello der chère, Ah figured you looked mighty lonely so Ah thought Ah'd give you some company." Remy gave her a lopsided smile that made her heart flutter. "Might Ah also add dat you are looking particularly ravishin' today."

That pushed her over the edge. She wasn't going to fall for this guy. From what she heard from Ororo he was a total player, someone who slept with anything with two legs and a vagina.

"Go away Swamp Rat. Ah'm busy. Storm can show you around." With that she turned around and continued up the stairs.

Remy hadn't given up yet. He had seen the way she had blushed when he had winked at her earlier. She was just playing chase; she was the mouse and he was the cat. That was fine by him, Remy liked games; having always been rather cunning, he usually ended up winning.

"Chère, de Prof said you could show me my room. Stormy went wit' him to plan what dey gonna do 'bout dis whole mess. It'd be mighty nice to sleep in a real bed for once, s'il vous plait." Remy gave her his lopsided smile again. Rogue wasn't going to let him get to her but she couldn't just leave him here.

"Fine Swamp Rat, Ah'll show you 'round but don't yah get any funny ideas." With that she gestured for him to follow her.

"This here is the main floor with most of the classrooms. Most of the X-men teach classes; Storm and Hank split most of the sciences between them, Jean teaches math, basic to calculus and covers Physics when Hank can't make it. Scott teaches shop classes and Logan runs most of the Danger Room sessions. The Professor teaches Ethics and English classes."

"What 'bout you? What do you teach?"

"Ah mostly cover classes when people can't make to their classes. But Ah recently started teachin' a History class. Not just mutant history but history of the world. History is somethin' that has always intrigued me. I want these kids to know that they aren't the first people to be persecuted because of their differences. It happened to the Blacks durin' the Civil War period, to Jewish people durin' the holocaust and the Tutsi people durin' the Rwandan genocide. Ah want them to know they aren't alone"

Not only was this girl gorgeous, she was smart and passionate. That made for a killer combination and Remy liked it. Sure, he had met plenty of gorgeous women and plenty of smart women too but never one who combined both traits so effortlessly. She was all the more attractive to him.

They made their way up to the second floor. "The second and third floors are where most of the students have their rooms. There are about 60 students rangin' in ages from 13 to 20, though we do have some slightly younger and some slightly older students. Some of the older students are finishin' their university degrees through correspondence or at local community colleges."

"Do yah have a degree?" Remy inquired, curious to learn more about this intriguing woman.

"Ah have a Bachelor's degree with a combined major of History and Psychology. Ah'm thinkin' of maybe teachin' an Introduction to Psychology class to some of the older students, figure it's always useful." Rogue gave him a small smile. "What about you, Cajun?"

"Ah never made it to college. Ah got mah basic schoolin' out of de way and dat was good enough for what Ah wanted to do. Though, Ah always did t'ink about studying Physics. It was always mah favourite subject when Ah was in school. Ah guess it's 'cause of how it relates to mah powers."

Rogue nodded, "Sciences were never mah strongest subject, Ah did well but Ah was never as passionate as you seem to be."

They walked slowly through the hallway as students greeted Rogue enthusiastically. Remy could hear some of the older girls whispering about him. He was quite used to this; it came with being as attractive as he was. He also didn't lack any confidence; he was sure of himself in a way that not very men are.

Rogue led him up yet another flight of stairs to the fourth floor. "This is where most of the X-men reside. We feel it's best to give the students their privacy, though Logan has incredible hearing so he tends to break things up before anything goes too far." It was her turn to wink at him now. Was she hinting at something, he thought, this was a far different Rogue from the one he had seen downstairs. Was she actually, dare he think it, flirting with him? He was used to women flirting with him but other women never made him feel unsure. He would just flirt back and then go home with them, have a couple hours of sex and then never talk to them ever again. He knew that would never be the case with this woman. She would either have him in entirety or not at all. He remembered Storm's warning. He finally realized what she meant. Rogue was a virgin. He was never one for virgins, they tended to get a little too attached for his liking but this wasn't just some random hook-up, he was actually starting to feel something for this woman.

"Well this is your room. Mine is two doors that way on the other side of the hall. Storm has the room next to you. If ever yah need somethin' just knock on mah door and Ah should answer. Ah'll leave you to get settled in." Rogue smiled at him again then turned around and walked to her room. Remy just stood there and stared as she entered her room. Thankfully she didn't look back to see him standing there, looking like a complete fool.

Remy had made up his mind. He liked the challenge this woman offered him. It wasn't like he was incapable of love. In his own way he had loved Bella, perhaps not enough to make their marriage work but he did love her, but with Rogue it already felt different.

As if Fate itself was urging them to be together.


	7. Lost Soul

**Here is my own character. More background on her later, but I promise that she is one interesting lady. This chapter may seem a little out of place, but I will tie it in later and it will work out perfectly.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the X-men, but I do own Claire! Woohoo!**

Chapter 7:

Claire Dubois leaned against the bar of one of the hottest new clubs in New York City. She was dressed to impress in her tiny mini-dress that clung to her body in all the right places; not that it took much for her to attract a man. Her long, toned legs were tanned just enough so that she didn't look orange but gave her a certain glow. Her brown hair toppled down in waves down her back and her fierce blue eyes were expertly lined with the perfect amount of eyeliner to make them pop. She was beautiful and she knew it.

The two men standing next to her were practically drooling as she gave each of them a smile. Some people would say she was a witch who had cast a spell on them, others would say she was like a walking love potion since there had never been a man she had met that had not fallen in love with her. She would have never suspected this to be a mutant ability if it wasn't for the visions. When she was in high school, she had discovered that she had the ability to give people visions of the things they wanted most. When it came to men, as soon as they met her, their visions usually revolved around fucking her like there was no tomorrow. She could sit there for hours and watch as the men had their way with her in their minds, while on the outside they were drooling like fools.

Men were all the same. They never ceased to disgust her. The two standing next to her were beginning to drool when she spotted two women walking towards her. She sensed a probing presence in her mind and realized that one of the women was a telepath. Although she was not very strong, the telepath was able to block Claire's attempt at a vision and continued on her way, using her telepathy to slam Claire against the wall. The music suddenly stopped as everyone in the club turned to look at her and the other two women. The second woman's hand glowed yellow and Claire soon realized she was going to send an energy blast her way. Claire felt it before she even saw it. The pain was so intense that had to fight to get up. Her only hope was to invade the mind of the energy wielding woman and stop her by implanting a vision.

"Get the fuck away from our men, you whore!" The telepath yelled. Obviously these women were not too informed about the political unrest between humans and mutants and were hell-bent on making a scene. Claire made her way into the mind of the second woman and found what she was looking for. All the woman wanted to be was normal, how pathetic, a life where she didn't have to worry about blowing up the house when she plugged in the toaster or causing a black-out in the neighbourhood when she dried her hair with a blow-dryer. So that is exactly what Claire gave her. The woman developed a blank expression as she fell to her knees, leaving the telepath on her own.

The club had quickly emptied as soon as all the humans had realized that the women were mutants. Claire could hear sirens in the distance and she knew she had to get out of here before there were too many people, too many desires for her to handle. The telepath heard the sirens too and faltered slightly in her concentration. The presence in Claire's mind vanished for a brief moment and she seized her chance. She had to dig deep beneath all the safe guards this woman had in place, to find her one true desire. It concerned one of the men slumped on the ground next to her; her visions usually had that effect on people. Once she lost interest or concentration, it sometimes took hours for them to snap out of their coma-like state, giving her plenty of time to get away.

She forced the vision into the woman's mind and didn't even look back as she headed for the nearest emergency exit. She needed to get out of here as soon as possible, but where would she go?

* * *

><p>Claire ran until she was a couple blocks from the club where she slowed her pace to a brisk walk, not wanting to look too panicked in the middle of the night, someone might get the wrong idea and try to help her. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being followed. After a few quick glances, she determined that she was not being followed.<p>

Claire never stayed in one place for very long, so she didn't have anywhere to go really. She could head back to the hotel and grab her things but she couldn't stay there long. She needed to get on the move. She had learned this the hard way. She pulled her phone out of her bra, along with about a hundred dollars. It wasn't much but if she couldn't make it back to the hotel it would have to do until she figured something out.

She checked her phone and found her location relative to her hotel and saw that she was only two blocks away. She decided that it was worth risk, especially if she could get out of this dress and heels.

When she finally arrived at the hotel, she didn't see any police cars or suspicious vehicles so she decided to head in. Her room was on the fourth floor and deciding not to risk the elevator, she didn't like the idea of getting trapped in there, so she took the stairs. Before she even made it half way up the first flight of stairs, she looked down at her feet and sighed.

"Heels were definitely a man's fucking invention" she said as she peeled them off of her aching feet.

She made it up to the fourth floor and pulled open the door that lead into the main hallway slowly. She didn't see anyone in the hall. She made her way out of the staircase and to her room. Her room card was tucked in with the money in her bra so she dug a hand in to retrieve it.

She heard a whistle come from behind her and saw a man she recognized from earlier that morning. Not in the mood to deal with him, she simply grumbled "Pig" and slid into her room. Once the door was closed she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She decided to take a shower, to rid herself of the filth of the evening. Her mini-dress was slightly charred by the evening's events so she peeled it off her aching body and tossed it into the trash. She stepped into the shower and let the warm water run over her body, soothing her pain as she went over the crazy night she had just had. It had been another close one and she was starting to get a little too careless.

* * *

><p>Hours later, she sat on the queen bed she had all to herself and looked out the window. The sun was finally beginning to rise and it cast shadows over all the buildings. She felt the tears flowing down her face as she was reminded of how truly alone she was. It seemed to be her curse that any man she came across could love her, but she could love no man. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much the man said he truly loved her, it was always her powers. No man could ever love her true self. It just wasn't possible.<p>

She had finally decided where she would go. She had heard of the place in several mutant communities and how it was secretly a haven for mutants. If anyone needed a haven, it was her; so lost and hopeless.

She had searched the directions on her phone and had written them down, in case she ever needed to ditch the phone. Directly in front of her sat that paper, some of the ink running from the tears she had shed.

In bold letters were the words, **Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters.**


	8. Lovers

**Author's note: Chapters 7, 8 & 9 are all happening simultaneously. Everything shall hopefully be pulled together in chapter 10.**

**Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me except for Claire.**

Chapter 8:

Rogue fell into bed, exhausted from all the day's events. First Remy had disappeared; secondly she had identified the man who had hired him and lastly Remy had been found, just to start pursuing her as he latest challenge.

Rogue was well aware that the Cajun had his eyes on her. Anyone who wasn't blind saw it. Hell, even a blind person could sense it. It was no secret in the mansion that the sexy new addition had his sights set on the, until just recently, untouchable Rogue.

She wouldn't let him get too close though, it was too soon. Sure, he was attractive and she felt herself being pulled towards him but she still didn't trust herself and she knew that he was in it for the sex. She wasn't ready for that. She'd gone the last 10 years of her life believing that she'd always be a virgin. She learned to accept it over time, no matter how painful it was. Now, she had Destiny's visions running through her head telling her that she could be touched and would be touched.

Rogue shivered at the thought of touch; just the thought spent shivers down her spine. She longed to be touched as a woman should be, she longed to be caressed, to be kissed in all her sensitive places. She just wanted to be loved emotionally and physically, but anytime someone got too close she pushed them away. She didn't want anyone else turning out like Cody. She didn't think she could live with herself.

Her powers did come in handy though. She thought about the days when all she wanted was to be normal, to rid herself of what she considered her curse. Those days were long gone, she had finally come to terms with her powers, seeing that they were not a curse but perhaps a blessing in disguise; she was able to help the greater good, even if that meant sacrificing her most basic need, to be touched.

She was a changed person now. She was no longer the scared young girl who didn't ask any questions when Mystique and Destiny took her in. She wasn't even the same girl who had walked up the steps of Xavier's mansion looking for a place to stay. No, she was woman now; a woman who had previously thought that she was alright with the lack of intimacy in her life. She did not lack love, she was surrounded by it. She had finally found her true family and she loved them all, even the gruff Logan.

She lacked intimacy, she now knew it. All it took was one longing look from the handsome Cajun to make her realize it. She picked herself off her bed and began to strip off her clothing. She no longer wore the many layers of clothing she had become so accustomed to wearing. She simply wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The gloves were just a precaution, plus she was so used to them that her hands felt cold without them.

She pulled on a pair of sweats and a tank-top, and snuggled under the covers. She hoped that tonight she would get a glance of her sexy, future lover.

* * *

><p>She got her wish as soon as she shut her eyes, except this dream was different than her previous recurring dream. It started out quite differently.<p>

She was in the shower and she could see the water washing the blood away from her body. She looked down and saw several bullet holes that were already almost completely healed; they hadn't gone very deep anyways since she had Carol's powers. She heard her bathroom door open and a figure stepped in.

She watched as he removed his clothing one article at a time until he was completely naked. He reached out to open the shower door but it was already open for him. Rogue gave him an expectant smile.

"Hey sugah, what took yah so long?" She asked as he stepped in with her.

"Had tah finish some business."

He ran his fingers over the nearly healed bullet wounds in her shoulder and leaned down to kiss them. Rogue shuddered as his lips touched her skin but she did not stop him.

"Now how can Ah make yah feel better chère?" He asked as one of his hands grasped her right breast while he leaned the other on the wall. Between the heat of the shower and the heat from his body, Rogue felt like she was on fire, but in a good way.

He pushed her up against the wall and she let him explore her body. She tensed slightly as his fingers drew circles on the inside of her thigh, so close to her wet folds. She gasped when she felt his finger rub against her sensitive clit, exciting her in ways she had never felt before. She felt him press his hard cock against her thigh and reached down to pleasure him until she felt his hand push hers away.

"Not yet, it's your turn." She didn't argue with that one. His fingers continued to rub her in all the right places; he entered her with one finger slowly, watching the expression of ecstasy spreading across her features. She felt a second finger join the first inside her and moaned as he began to stroke her gently at first then with a little more force. His lips traveled down her neck and paused above her breast. He lowered his lips and sucked on her nipple to bring it to a firm peak. The sensations she was feeling were all so amazing. She was so close to her climax. Her lover kissed the crevice between her breasts and made his way to her other nipple and paid just as much attention to it. He felt her tighten and spasm around his fingers. Using his thumb to rub her clit as he continued to stroke her, he sent her over the edge. Rogue shuddered as spasms of intense pleasure rolled over her. She looked at this man who held her close as she finished her orgasm. She felt her heart burst with desire to show him the same pleasure he had just given her.

"Now it's your turn sugah."

Slowly, she got down on her knees as she ran her hands down his body, stopping just before his hard manhood. She teased him just as he had teased her, by tracing small circles on his thighs. Slowly she grasped his erection with her hands and began to pump them up and down applying more pressure as she went. She heard him groan in pleasure and she looked up to see he had leaned against the wall using both his hands to hold himself up.

The water ran down her back as kissed the tip of his cock then teased it with her tongue. Then all at once, much to his surprise, she took him in. She sucked hard, using on hand to establish a pumping rhythm. She was determined to make this man come hard for her. She pumped faster and faster as he began to move his hips in motion with her. With her free hand, she grasped his balls and pulled on them gently. This sent him over the edge. He placed a hand on the back of her head and pushed his cock deeper into her mouth. She felt him shudder inside her as he came. She tasted his seed in her mouth as she swallowed. She looked up at him to see that his eyes were closed and a serene look had come across his face.

She stood up as he opened his eyes to look into her own.

"Roguey? Ah love yah so much. More den words can explain." He told her earnestly.

She awoke suddenly, her sheets soaked with sweat. In her mind rang those last words her mysterious lover had said; though her was not so mysterious anymore as his sweet Cajun accent floated through her mind.


	9. Victim

**Introducing another new character! Sophie is tiny, shy and has been sheltered most of her life. She's an innocent victim who will play a big part.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for a couple storylines and my girls Claire and Sophie.**

Chapter 9:

As soon as the X-men left the room, Charles Xavier turned to Hank McCoy and said, "Well Hank, I suppose we'd better arrange a meeting with the President. You are probably the one person he truly needs to speak to now."

"Well as the Minister of Mutant Affairs, this would definitely be my time to step up."

Hank made the call. Given the state of emergency and his position, he was granted an emergency meeting with the President in two hours time.

"Well that gives us two hours to plan our strategy I suppose," said Hank, "This is going to be very difficult, the President was already anti-mutant and this will only serve to strengthen his resolve. We must prove to him that this was the work of mutant extremists and that it is not cause enough to declare war on his own country."

"Meanwhile, we need to think about Magneto. I have no idea whatsoever where he could be keeping the girl. For all we know, he could have kept her with the teleporter and just have him keep moving. I believe we should offer our services to the President, though he may or may not accept them. The most we can hope for is an extension of that 12-hour period."

Within a two hour span, Charles Xavier and Hank McCoy impatiently awaited their meeting with the President. When they were finally called into the Oval office, the air around them was thick with tension.

"Hello, Mr. President. We understand the gravity of the situation and we would just like to offer our services in aiding to find Sophie. We want to get her back safe just as you do." Hank began.

"Hank, I don't know what your plan is, but if you played any part in her abduction, I will make sure that you are a deadman walking." Replied the President.

"Mr. President, I may assure you that Hank did not play any part in Sophie's kidnapping nor did myself or the X-men. We would just like to help you find her and bring her home safely." Said Charles.

"She was in her room. Her room of all places! The bastard got in and took her without a single person noticing until it was too late. How the hell does that happen?" exclaimed the President.

"Sir, I understand that you are quite upset, but I must assure you that declaring a state of war on all mutants is not the best course of action. Please give us the time we need to locate your daughter and get her back. Declaring war will most likely hurt her more than it will help her." Hank said carefully.

"Violence and action are the only thing these mutants understand! They don't want to negotiate and they don't want money. What am I supposed to do? Just let her go? She's my only child. This would have never happened if I hadn't become President." Tears had begun to stream down his face. He no longer had the poise and grace of a President but just the fear and anguish of a parent who had lost their child.

"Mr. President, I can tell you from experience, that the mutants that took your daughter can be stopped and will be. Allow me to assemble my X-men and with a few days time we will recover your daughter." Charles assured him.

"A few days? What makes you think they wouldn't have..." He paused, unable to say the word on the tip of his tongue, "...killed her by then." The last part was barely audible, almost a whisper as if he said it too loud it would become true.

"Sir, I can assure you that they will not kill her. It would do them more harm than good to kill the girl. They are not monsters, just people who are trying to get their voice heard that choose the wrong way of doing it." Hank told the President.

"I'm giving you five days. If she is not back in my arms in that time, I am continuing with my plan of war, regardless of which side you choose Hank. You had better find her or I don't know what this country will come to. You people have pushed me one too many times. I won't have it anymore. Five days, then your kind is done." The President said gravely as he gestured for them to leave.

As Charles and Hank left the oval office, they exchanged a look, one that conveyed a mixture of feelings, a little relief but still mostly sadness. They had accomplished what they had come to do yet they still felt as if they had lost. They had not expected to change the man's view of mutants in their brief meeting but to see that he still felt such anger towards mutants in general was not a good sign.

"We did what we could Charles. There was nothing more we could do. Now we must just concentrate on the girl. Do you think Cerebro would be able to locate her?" Hank asked.

"If the teleporter had stopped moving, I may have an easier time, but I'll try to find the girl and make contact to let her know we are on our way."

By the time they boarded the Blackbird and returned to the mansion, it was already close to midnight. Charles bid Hank good night and decided that he was not going to get very much sleep over the next couples days so he had better seize a few now, while he had the chance.

* * *

><p>At exactly 7 am, the Professor sent out a telepathic message to wake all of his X-men, even the members of the Junior Team. They were on the brink of war; this was not the time to hold out. He would need his whole team if they were going to find the girl and get her back.<p>

When the X-men awoke, they didn't know what to expect. The Professor had not contacted them during the night after his meeting with the President, which meant that he must have called off his declaration of war. The only contact they had with the Professor was his telepathic wake-up call, which was nothing more than a "Good morning, please prepare yourselves." Many questions were left unanswered. How much time did they have? Where would they find the girl? Would they make it in time?

At 7:05 am, Charles made his way into Cerebro and began his search for the mutant who had taken the girl. Unable to get a lock on him because of his erratic movements, Charles decided to focus his efforts on the girl, in hopes that she had been brought somewhere so she would be stationary for the time being. He began his search; he weeded out all the men, then all the people who were too old or too young. He focused on girls around 14 years of age. Never actually having been in contact with the girl and since she had no mutation, he could not depend upon an energy signature. After an hour of searching he was unable to find Sophie.

Then the idea struck him. What if the girl was indeed a mutant and either she was unaware of the fact or she had kept it hidden from her parents? Charles decided it was worth a try since he had not found her as a human.

He began the process again; this time eliminating all the humans, the men and those too young or too old. He thought her name and there she was. His thoughts calling out to her, finding her amongst all the other lost and frightened mutants. She sat on the ground, her head between her knees terrified of what was to come. He had found her. She was being held in what must be Magneto's new stronghold. Charles could feel Magneto's power all around her. He had narrowed it down to a one mile radius in a wooded area about fifty miles outside of New York City. He just needed her help to narrow it down even more.

_Sophie. _The Professor's voice rang through her mind, her head shot up, her eyes scanning the area to see where the voice had come from. _Sophie, you cannot see me because I am not with you physically at the moment. I am contacting you telepathically. Nod if you understand._

The girl slowly nodded her head, scepticism still evident in her features. She had just been kidnapped by mutants, she didn't know who to trust.

_Sophie, I am a friend of your father's he has asked me to help find you and to help get you home safely. If you think something in your mind I should be able to hear you. Do you know where you are?_

_No. _She thought. _But it's cold and dark._

_Very good Sophie. Do you hear anything? Sirens, water, animals? Anything you can hear or even smell could be helpful. _

_It smells damp, like damp earth. Earlier I thought I heard rushing water, when they first brought me here, kind of like a waterfall. _

_You've been a great help Sophie. I just need you to stay calm and not let them provoke you. We will be there to get you as soon as we can._

_Hurry, please. I'm scared._

A waterfall, his best chance at finding her. He searched the area looking for a waterfall and found just one, that would be where they started looking.

* * *

><p>Sophie was terrified. She had lived a pretty sheltered life and even as the President's daughter nothing too exciting ever happened. The man who had taken her had promised that he wouldn't hurt her; she had believed him, he seemed sincere in his words but when he brought her back to his master she wasn't so sure anymore.<p>

The man was intimidating with his metal helmet and his cape. He looked like something out of a comic book. For a while she thought she was dreaming. He told her of her father's decision to declare war if she was not returned within 12 hours and how 4 had already passed. He told her how this war would allow his ultimate plan to dominate the world and force her kind into submission to become a reality.

She realized he didn't know. He didn't know that she, Sophie Anne Montgomery, was a mutant. It had only been a couple months since she had found out and everyday she worked even harder to hide it. She longed for a normal life, out of the spotlight and if her mutation was to be discovered, she would never be able to hide. Thankfully her mutation was not physical, but that did not make it easy to hide.

Sophie could bring inanimate objects to life. When she touched something, it sprung to life with a mind of its own. If she concentrated hard enough she could control the object she had touched. Sometimes when she opened a door, the handle would come to life, becoming a lion that would bite your hand if you got to close. She couldn't control her power all the time, but she had been practicing. She had learned to suppress the power when she touched objects, so that they remained inanimate. She could control the object, as if it was a part of her, as if it shared her thoughts. She could take the life away from the object with another touch. She had to learn fast, someone was bound to find her out. With a father like hers, she couldn't be too careful.

The man that took her didn't know she was a mutant and that was why he didn't take away her dove. He didn't see the danger in letting the girl keep a tiny plastic dove. It was the one thing she always kept with her. It was comforting for her, when she's alone she can watch it fly around the room, freer than she will ever be.

She kissed her dove. It glowed briefly then began to spread its tiny wings. It fluttered around the tiny room where she was being kept.

"Go. Help them find me." She said to it and with that the dove slipped through the crack underneath the door and was gone.


	10. Misunderstandings

**I've become somewhat of a hermit writing this story. Though I am avoiding the outside world for other reasons, namely ridiculous allergies and my bad back, so this seems to be the perfect distraction. Please continue to enjoy the story and the reviews are fantabulous.**

**Disclaimer: Only Claire and Sophie are mine. The rest belong to the people at Marvel. **

Chapter 10:

Gambit did not sleep well that night. After watching Rogue leave, he had this nagging feeling that he should go after her. It took quite a bit of effort, but he managed to ignore the feeling. Instead, he went into the room she had assigned him.

It was most definitely not a large room, not by any standards, but it was comfortable. Against the far wall, under the window was a double bed, already outfitted with sheets. On the left wall was a dresser and to its right was a small closet. Over the dresser sat a mirror. Remy glanced at his reflection and saw the bags under his eyes. He needed a good night's rest to be back to his normal self. Behind him, on the right wall of the room, was a desk. He walked over and opened the drawers. In the top drawer he found some paper, some envelopes and a few pens. "Some letter writing material", he thought as he chuckled to himself, "these people need to update to this century." No matter how outdated though, he found a certain usefulness for the paper. He already planned on using it later on.

As curious as he was to explore the rest of the ridiculously large mansion, he could not ignore the fact that he was dead tired and needed a good rest. He stripped himself of his trenchcoat and all those other unnecessary clothing items he wore during the day. At night, Remy preferred to go au naturel. He liked the feeling of the cool sheets against his skin. He opened the window above the bed just enough to let in a slight breeze then he climbed into bed and curled up. It didn't take him long at all to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Gambit awoke the next morning before the sun was even up. He yawned slightly as he stretched his arms. As he got out of bed, he realized it had been ages since he had eaten. He threw on his clothes and realized that Rogue had never shown him where the kitchen was.

"Oh well, Ah guess Ah'll just have to do some explorin'," he thought.

He quietly pulled open his bedroom door as to not wake any of the others on his floor. He shut it with a small click and made his way down to the first floor where he assumed the kitchen would be. He wandered around for a bit, poking his head into different rooms, getting to know his surroundings better, just in case something was to happen. Finally he smelled eggs cooking and he followed the scent to the kitchen.

Sitting at the counter with a plateful of eggs in front of him was the man with the red sunglasses. Scott? Remy thought to himself. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"Mornin'," he said to the man, "Scott, right?"

"Yea. I hope you aren't planning on getting some food then running. It would be a shame if I had to shoot you down" Scott smiled sarcastically.

Remy could tell the man didn't trust him or like him, which wasn't a big deal to Remy but may be a big deal to Rogue. He was going to play nice until he had an idea about the dynamics around this place.

"Ah don't plan on runnin' anytime soon, mon ami." Remy said with a small smile. "Ah haven't really had a home since Ah got banned from New Orleans and dis place seems pretty cozy."

Scott looked up at him and shrugged. "There's nothing I can do to make you leave without making everyone suspicious. Storm loves you and Rogue seems to be getting quite attached to you. I couldn't do anything without the Professor knowing. But believe me, Gambit, I don't trust you. I don't know if I ever will. You make your living off of other people and I've never had any respect for people like you. So you had better watch your step." With that he took his now empty plate of eggs to the sink and rinsed it quickly before tossing it into the dishwasher.

Remy watched him leave. He grabbed an apple off the counter and followed Scott. He wanted to learn more about this man so he could know his habits and his personality better, because if he wanted to stay here, he had to avoid pissing off the X-men and a bad place to start would be their leader.

As Scott walked past the large front door of the mansion, there was a little knock. Confused as to who would be knocking on their door this early in the morning, Scott opened it slowly.

Standing at the door was a beautiful, tall brunette with piercing blue eyes that were rimmed with red, as if she had just been crying.

"Hi, I'm Claire."

* * *

><p>It took Claire ages to work up the courage to make her way to the Xavier's Institute. She had spent the whole night crying and finally around 4:30 am she had decided to do it. She took a cab from her hotel to extravagant mansion and after the cab left, she sat on the giant fountain in the front until the first morning's light began to show.<p>

She walked slowly up the stairs, forcing herself to straighten up and stop crying before she knocked on the door. Moments later, a man wearing red sunglasses opened the door. A familiar look came over his face as she realized that just because he was a mutant, didn't mean her powers didn't have the same effect. She sighed as he began to stumble over his words, ushering her in to the house. She had hoped that she would find someone or even a few men that were immune to her powers here. She wasn't off to a very good start.

"Hi. Um, I'm, um, Scott. Come in! Um, here let me, um, take your bag." The man grabbed the bag from her hands as he practically pulled her into the mansion. She realized that he must be one of the only ones up, so she was stuck with him for now.

"So this is a school for mutants, right?" She asked.

"Umm, yea, it is. Are you, um, looking for somewhere to stay?"

"Yes, I have nowhere left to go. I just need somewhere to crash for a bit."

"Well, um, I'm sure you'll be welcome to stay here." He smiled nervously at her. "You know, you are, um, very beautiful. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Claire smiled at the man, it was sad smile, since she knew his words were not sincere, just the work of her mutation, but for him it was encouraging and he leaned in to kiss her. He caught her by surprise at first but she managed to put her hands on his chest and push him away. He was a handsome man, but she didn't know whether he had a girlfriend, fiancée or whatever and she did not want to start her stay by pissing off the women of the school. That would come naturally soon enough.

* * *

><p>Remy took it as his cue to step in when he saw Scott kiss the mysterious new woman. Remy had only been consciously in the mansion for a day now but even he saw that ol' One-Eye was madly in love with the fiery, Jean Grey. So when Scott kissed her, Remy figured something was up.<p>

He approached the woman and smiled. "Bonjour mademoiselle, Ah'd like to introduce myself. I am Remy or Gambit, whichever you prefer. I happened to overhear your name is Claire. Now dat wouldn't happen to be a French Claire, would it?"

She smiled. It had been a while since she had spoken French, it was her native tongue and she was glad to finally come across someone who spoke it. "Claire Dubois, de Montréal. Tu parles avec un accent de la Louisiane?"

"Bien oui, mais je pense qu'on devrait parler en anglais pour notre ami ici." He gestured towards Scott.

"Now, Claire. Ah see dat you have enchanted my friend here and Ah'd like for you to remove it before his girlfriend finds out."

Claire was stunned. The man was not affected by her charms? She hadn't noticed at first but now she realized that he was speaking to her on his own terms. He must have seen the shock on her face because he smiled at her before speaking.

"Remy has many powers chère. One, Ah'm an empath, Scott's desire for you practically screamed at me when he first saw you. Now dat's not normal for de man. Second, Ah have a reputation of bein' a little bit o' a charmer myself, not nearly as strong as you chère but between dat and my mental guards, Ah s'ppose Ah'm immune to yer power."

Claire could have cried she was so happy. She had found him, the man of her dreams. The one man on the face of this earth who was immune to her powers.

"I'm afraid I can't remove it. I don't know how." She said honestly.

"Well, Ah t'ink Ah know someone who could help you der." Remy said to her.

Scott was still openly staring at her when Remy turned to him and said, "Scott, ol' buddy, why don't you go find de Professor. Ah'm sure he'd like to welcome our guest himself."

Scott shook his head furiously at the thought of leaving the gorgeous woman with Remy, but Claire wanted time alone with the man who was immune to her so she chimed in, "Oh please darling. I would love to meet the Professor. I know how I could thank you later." She gave Scott her best seductive smile.

With that Scott took off running, dropping Claire's bag in the process. Just then the Professor's voice rang through Remy's mind as a wakeup call of sorts. With that, Remy was reminded of the last day's events.

"Ah'm sure you've heard of the President's daughter by now?" He asked her.

"I heard a little something over the radio in the cab this morning. She was kidnapped, and the President said he was going to declare war within 12 hours but then mysteriously changed his mind." She replied.

"Well, our Professor here was de one dat changed his mind and so t'ings are 'bout to get a little crazy round here. Pretty sure de X-men are going to try to find de girl."

They waited a few minutes for Scott to return and Remy realized that he was not going to come back until he found the Professor, just as Claire had asked so he must not have found him. It wasn't a big deal, he would just give the woman the same tour he had received himself the day before.

He hadn't sensed anything dangerous about her, just a slight arousal when she spoke to him. He was gonna have to be careful if he didn't want to screw things up with Rogue. This woman was attractive but he was not attracted to her, he just didn't want Rogue to feel threatened.

They began their tour around the school and Claire seemed generally interested when Remy told her the things Rogue had told him.

"How long have you been here Remy?" She asked him.

"Well chère, yesterday was my first conscious day in the Mansion, but according to Big Blue, urm Hank, le docteur, Ah've been here four days now."

"Four days? Why were you unconscious when you came here?"

"Well, Ah was de guy who t'ought he was bein' hired to kidnap the President's daughter and bein' paid 5 million to do so. Turns out Ah was just a distraction for de X-men."

Not only was he hot and French but he was badass too. Claire could feel herself becoming even more attracted to the man with every word he spoke.

Meanwhile, Remy was praying to a God he had never really believed in that Rogue was a late sleeper and that she wouldn't walk in on him giving a tour to a beautiful woman.

They made their way around the school. He showed her the kitchen, which was thankfully empty, the classrooms, the second and third floors. He hesitated before making his way up the stairs to the fourth floor. Maybe if he recruited Rogue to help him out, she would see that he wasn't interested in the woman.

* * *

><p>Rogue awoke that morning with the Professor's voice ringing through her mind. He had let them sleep through the night which led her to believe that he and Hank had managed to sway the President from his declaration of war. She wondered what their next step would be.<p>

Her concerns about war were quickly overcome by the memory of her dream. It had been the best yet and she still felt the warming pleasure from it. She remembered her lover, his nimble hands and loving embrace.

Then, she remembered his voice. She wondered if it was just her mind adding things into her dream. Sure, the Cajun was attractive but he couldn't possibly be the man in her dreams. The moment that thought crossed her mind, she knew it to be false. Destiny's powers were telling her that she had found him, the man that would love her, she just knew it was true.

She practically bounded out of bed. The Cajun could be obnoxious and rude but most men were at some point, especially those she had grown up with. He was also a notorious flirt according to Storm and had slept with more women than he could probably remember but you can't argue with Destiny.

Rogue went to the bathroom and jumped in the shower. She took great care in washing her hair and face. Even if she had to save the world today, she was going to look her best. She rinsed the last bit of conditioner out of her hair and turned off the water. Thoughts were racing through her head. She didn't remember ever feeling like this, even with Cody, whom she was convinced she had loved. She dried herself off. She usually let her hair dry naturally, but today she decided to use her blow-dryer.

About 20 minutes later, she had styled her hair so that her curls were somewhat tamed, and the white streaks framed her face. She applied a small amount of makeup, just so that she made her green eyes pop.

She decided it was probably best to just wear her jumpsuit since they would most likely be heading out to find the girl soon anyways. She had just pulled on her gloves when she heard a knock at her door.

"Rogue, chère, you der?" She heard Remy call. She felt her heart jump in her chest when she heard his voice. It was him in her dream, she was now certain.

She bounded to the door, barely able to contain her excitement. She stopped dead in her tracks when pulled the door open to reveal a beautiful woman, her lips millimetres away from Remy's ear as she whispered to him. She had her hand on the back of his neck and seductive smile had spread across her face. When she saw Rogue, she smirked and her hand ran down Remy's back stopping on his lower back.

Rogue couldn't say anything, it was as if her voice had just stopped working. She turned around and slammed the door in Remy's face. That man had nerve coming to her door with another woman. What the hell was he thinking?

Rogue's anger quickly turned to sadness as she fell back into bed and sobbed; her perfectly done makeup running down her face.


	11. Briefing

**I have all these little storylines dancing in my head. Each one wants attention and I'm doing my best to please them all. Hopefully, you enjoy this chapter! It took me an abnormally long time to write. I've got spin-offs forming in my mind as well. I hope I can keep them at bay until I finish this story.**

**Disclaimer: I've said it once, I'll say it again. I do not own them, blah blah blah, but hey I do own Claire. If you have any guesses what will happen with her, I'd love hear them. I've got a background and a future all planned for her already. **

**Thank You!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 11:<p>

Remy turned to Claire, the anger clear in is handsome features. He pushed her away and glared.

"Why in hell did yah do dat?" He practically yelled.

"Keep your voice down, baby. I just wanted to say thank you." She smiled her seductive smile and winked at him.

"She's mad at me now! Ah was just getting on her good side!" Remy was furious. He felt nothing for her except for pity and she had come between him and the woman he truly had feelings for. His hands glowed purple, when he was this angry his powers got the better of him.

"Remy! I am so sorry. I didn't know how much she meant to you. I swear I'll make it up to you." Claire's sincerity seemed to be written all over her face, little did Remy know that Claire had been acting most of her life, ever since her powers had manifested.

"Alright chère, but let me tell you dis. Your powers don't work on me, and Ah don't enjoy being toyed with. You try dat kind of stunt again and Ah'll make sure you never set foot in dis place again." Remy's face was serious and his tone stern. Claire could tell he meant it but she didn't care, she was determined to have him as her own and if sabotaging his relationship with this Rogue girl was what it was going take, then that was what she was going to do.

Claire nodded, "Alright Remy."

* * *

><p><em>Please meet me in the war room in 5 minutes.<em>

The Professor must have a plan, Rogue thought as she dried her tears. She had cried for what seemed like hours but when she looked at her clock, had in reality only been 10 minutes. Time to put on your superhero face Rogue, she thought to herself, don't let that insensitive jerk stop you from doing your job.

She splashed her face with cold water and pulled her hair back. She still couldn't believe he had come to her door with that girl all over him. Why didn't he just tell her he wasn't interested? When did she get her anyways? Did he just go pick her up at a bar and bring her here? What if she was human and found out about what the school was truly about? The one thing that had kept the school safe over the years was the level of secrecy they upheld.

"If that jackass ruins this for us all, I will chop off his balls and serve them to him on a platter. That'll serve him right for thinking with his dick and not with his head." She said to herself as she made her way down to the war room.

When she arrived she saw that Remy was not present and she was thankful. She had doubted that he would be included in the mission seeing that he only really been in the mansion a day and before then he was practically their enemy, but you could never be sure with the X-men. She took her seat and waited for the others to arrive.

Jean was already in the room seated next to the Professor; the seat on his other side was oddly vacant, Scott was usually the first one to arrive to these meetings. Storm had arrived just as Rogue did and had taken her seat as well. There were not enough seats for the Junior X-men so people like Jubilee, Cannonball and Forge were forced to stand around the edges. Kitty soon arrived and took her seat next to Rogue. She gave Rogue a small smile as Colossus or Piotr, her gorgeous boyfriend sat down beside her.

The Professor had really called **everyone** in. People she hadn't seen in years were piling into the room, all with grave looks on their faces. Even Emma Frost was present; she took advantage of Scott's absence and took the seat next to the Professor, no one stopped her. Danielle Moonstar and Sage entered the room next. Rogue didn't understand how everyone had gotten here so quickly, unless...

In walked Nightcrawler. Rogue almost jumped from her seat to give her adopted brother a hug. It had been ages since she had seen Kurt. He spotted her and his face lit up. He took the empty seat next to her and pulled her into an embrace.

"It has been too long Kurt!" Rogue whispered excitedly.

"Ya, dear sister, but times are hard and ve must prepare for vhat is to come." Kurt told her gravely.

Rogue nodded her agreement. "Did you bring them all here yourself?"

"Nicht, mein schwester. I had some help from Pixie." He motioned his head towards the girl who had just walked in. Her bright pink hair was as wild as ever as she turned and winked at Rogue.

"Where did you find her? She's been off our radar for 3 years now!" Rogue whispered to her brother.

"I did not find her, she found me."

Next to enter was Logan, the stench of his recently smoked cigar lingered on his clothes. Rogue hated when he smoked, the smell always filled the room and reminded her of her father. Those were not pleasant memories.

Jean looked at the Professor. "Have you heard from Scott, Professor? I tried to contact him but all I'm getting is static."

"He is coming Jean. I can feel his presence." The Professor replied.

Others slipped through the door as the Professor cleared his throat. Just as he was about to speak, the door opened once again. Everyone turned to see Gambit walk into the room with the same beautiful brunette that had been with him that morning. Following close behind them was Scott, who looked like he would lick the woman's shoes if she asked him to.

"Ah, thank you for joining us Remy and bringing along our new friend. She may prove to be very useful over the next couple days. Claire is it?" The Professor smiled at the woman.

"Yes" she replied meekly. She didn't like that this man already knew all about her. It made her uneasy.

Scott stood behind the woman, looking completely lost until she turned to him and directed him to the last empty seat next to Beast.

The Professor glanced around the room, looking at his X-men and those who had come to help even though they no longer considered themselves X-men.

"This is a grave day my friends. We are on the brink of war. Hank and I have done our best to stall the promised declaration of war by the President but if his daughter is not found, it will be inevitable." He looked each of them in eyes. "We now have less than five days to find the girl and return her safely to her father. She must remain as unharmed as possible, though it is impossible to know what Magneto has already done to her."

"So it is Magneto that took her? Well this should be interesting." Emma said.

"He confirmed it himself when Rogue identified him as the one who had hired Gambit for the task." Rogue nodded her agreement. "We must move quickly. I will assemble a team to search the one mile radius in the woods about 50 miles from the city, for the girl. The rest of you will work on damage control. There have been quite a few attacks on innocent mutants lately as anti-mutant groups such as the Friends of Humanity have lashed out against all mutants. I don't believe that they even care that the girl was taken. They are just using it as an excuse to persecute as many mutants as possible."

"Jean, Storm, Wolverine, Shadowcat, Rogue, Nightcrawler and Gambit will accompany me on the Blackbird to locate the girl. Cyclops will stay here with the school seeing that he seems to be charmed at the moment. Claire, my dear, you will have to leave the premises in order for him to return to his senses, am I correct?" The woman nodded. "Well, then you will accompany Miss Frost here. I don't need you incapacitating any more of my male friends. Hank, you will stay here with Scott"

Claire nodded. Remy leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Why aren't your powers working here?"

Claire looked at him and whispered back, "There are too many men. If there are this many men in one room, I have to concentrate my powers to affect them, or like in Scott's case, affect them beforehand."

Rogue did not miss this gesture, which seemed intimate to her. She groaned her disgust. Kitty gave her a questioning look and mouthed, "What?" to her.

Rogue shook her head and turned back to the Professor. Kitty would find out soon enough what was going on. Rogue didn't think she'd last very long with Remy in the jet with her.

Remy on the other hand was ecstatic. He would be able to speak to Rogue without Claire near. This was just what he needed, a moment alone to tell Rogue it had all been a big misunderstanding, that it was her he wanted, not Claire.

"Please, prepare yourselves for departure. X-men that are accompanying me, please meet me at the Blackbird in 10 minutes." With that, they were dismissed. Rogue practically jumped out of her chair and sprinted from the room, but Kitty was close behind her.

"What was all that about?" Kitty demanded. "You are my best friend. Is there something going on between you and that Remy guy?"

"It's nothin' Kitty, don't worry about it."

"Rogue, you can tell me these things, I'm your friend. I'm here for you, if you want to tell me you're welcome to, if you don't want to, I won't force you." Kitty said sincerely, her youthful face full of concern for her friend.

Rogue broke down. Suddenly, it all came pouring out. Her dreams about Remy, how she thought he was her soulmate, Destiny's part in it all and that dreadful moment with that bitch, Claire.

Kitty hugged her friend as she sobbed into her shoulder, holding her tight. Kitty had always known that Rogue kept everything bottled up inside and was constantly trying to get the girl to open up. It just wasn't good for her to keep it all inside. Rogue dried her tears and sniffled.

"Ah feel better, but we should probably get goin'. Do yah need to grab anythin'?" Rogue asked her friend. It was the truth. She did feel better, maybe there was something to this letting it out crap.

Kitty shook her head, "I came prepared. Let's get to the jet."

* * *

><p>Remy looked at Claire. "You'll be fine chère. Dis is important work dat dey do here. T'ink about it, we're gonna save de world."<p>

"Remy?"

"Oui chère?"

"Do you love her?"

"Ah honestly don't know. Ah've known de girl for a grand total of 2 conscious days, but it feels like something is pulling me towards her, like we on de same path or something."

Claire understood but she couldn't help the anger that was building up inside of her. She had finally found the one man who saw her for who she was and not what her powers made him see. He saw her as a person, not just some piece of hot ass to be drooled after.

"Goodbye Remy" She said sadly.

"Dis not goodbye, Claire. Ah be seein' you after de mission." He didn't understand that she wasn't coming back here, not until she had a plan to get him, so that she could have him all to herself. She'd kill that Rogue girl, the one with the ugly white stripes of hair, if that was what she had to do.

She turned to join the woman who called herself Emma Frost. She turned back to Remy and gave him a sad smile before blowing him a kiss.

Remy made his way to Storm, who had waited for him to finish.

"Who is she?" Storm asked.

"A lost soul that ended up on our doorstep this mornin'. She can charm any man into lovin' her, but it never be true love, dat de sad part. Ah t'ink she was intrigued by de fact dat her powers had no effect on me, but my heart is not hers."

"Are you trying to tell me something here Remy? Does your heart belong to someone?"

"My dear Stormy, Ah t'ink dat is de case."

"Rogue?" Storm asked simply.

Remy nodded slowly. The woman knew everything, sometimes he had to remind himself that she was not a telepath, but was simply ridiculously intuitive, except when it came to her own life.

"Ah know it sounds cheesy and corny and all dat crap, but it feels like she's my other half. Like we were meant for each other, Stormy. Ah don't know how to describe it, Ah've never felt this way before, not even with Bella. Ah love her."

Remy realized the truth in his words as he said them. He had never been one to express himself so openly, it always meant trouble in his business, but he knew that he could trust Storm, that she only wanted what was best for him. But she also wanted what was best for Rogue, they were like sisters.

Storm linked arms with Remy as she led him to the jet.

Remy smiled at his old friend. He finally felt at home.


	12. Mission, Part 1

**AN: Sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I've hit a wall, I knew it was bound to come. Let me just say, I hate writer's block, but I'll get out of my rut soon, I usually do. **

** Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, but the plot and storyline are. Be glad for the little things. **

Chapter 12:

Rogue boarded the jet and strapped herself into her seat. Everyone was on the plane already except for Storm and Gambit. They soon came aboard, their arms linked. Gambit looked at Rogue, trying to make eye contact, but she completely avoided his gaze. He took his place at the back of the jet, while Storm moved towards the front.

The Professor set the coordinates for the part of the woods where he had found Sophie. The jet took off with Storm flying it. The Professor turned to his team to give them the specifics he did not want to reveal to everyone he had invited to help them.

"I have a couple things I must warn you about. First, Sophie is a mutant. I am unaware whether she knows but it is evident that her father is not aware. I am also not sure what her mutation is, so please be careful, we don't know what she is capable of."

"Secondly, Magneto has many mutants working for him. I have no doubt that you will run into at least one of them. That is why I will be putting you in teams. Please make sure you have each other's backs. We will also have communicators so we all remain in constant contact." He nodded to Wolverine who passed out communicators to each person.

"Kurt will accompany me, Jean will go with Kitty, Ororo will go with Logan..." Rogue's jaw dropped as she anticipated his next words. This had to be a nightmare; she was going to wake up any moment. "And Rogue will keep an eye on Gambit."

Remy was nervous. He was going to be alone with Rogue and from what he saw when she turned to look at Kitty when the Professor announced the teams, it seemed like she wasn't at all pleased.

When they landed in a clearing in the woods, Storm initiated the cloaking device. They unbuckled their seatbelts and rose from their seats.

"Communicators on, everyone." Logan commanded. They all did as he said.

"If you see anything unusual or what could be Magneto's new lair, call it in. Do not enter without calling for backup, we don't need anyone getting burned in the ass... Literally. John's most likely in there with him." Wolverine nodded to each group as they ventured in different directions.

* * *

><p>Rogue did her best to ignore Remy as they made their way through the bushes. She pushed the branches away and let them swing furiously behind her. A couple times she heard the branches hit Remy in the face with a satisfying <em>Thwack. <em>

"Rogue. Please give Remy a chance to explain chère, she showed up on de doorstep dis mornin' and Remy was comin' to ask for yer help showin' her 'round. Rogue!" Remy was desperately trying to get her attention. Screw the mission, he didn't care. He just couldn't stand having her mad at him.

"We're on a mission. Ah don't know about yah but Ah'd rather make it out of here alive."

Remy grabbed her by the wrist. "Promise me chère. If Ah let it go for now, will you at least give me a chance when we get back?"

Rogue nodded, not because she meant it, but because she just wanted to get him off her back.

"Let's go, Swamp Rat. Ah want to find the girl today, if that's alright by you."

They continued on their way until they heard water. There was a river nearby; the Professor had said that Sophie had heard a waterfall when she had first been taken there. A couple feet more through the bush and they found themselves at the river.

"Now, do we follow it upstream or down?" Remy asked Rogue. There was no response, which was odd, this was a girl who had an answer for everything. Remy turned to look at her. She had her back turned and seemed to be staring at something. He moved to get a better view of what she was looking at.

Fluttering in front of Rogue was a tiny, white dove. She reached out her hand for it and it landed on her palm. It looked up at her with shiny, blank eyes and turned its head. Suddenly, it took off again. Flying in the direction it had turned its head. It stopped briefly and looked at them again.

"Ah think it wants us to follow it." Rogue whispered.

"How can we be sure it ain't dangerous?"

"Ah don't think it is. I could feel the innocence of it. Ah think Sophie sent it to us. It's not a trick." Rogue started to follow the dove. Remy had no choice but to follow her. They were headed up river.

When they reached the waterfall, the dove stopped. It fluttered back to Rogue and sat on her palm again.

"Ah think it's behind the waterfall." Remy nodded his agreement.

"Rogue to Wolverine. Ah think Ah've found it." Within seconds, Kurt and the Professor appeared at their side. Another couple seconds later and everyone else had joined them. The Professor scanned the area with his mind.

"I can sense her presence. Rogue was right."

Rogue clutched the dove in her hand. Sophie wasn't just some kid, she was a smart kid. She had almost mastered her mutation on her own, if only Rogue had been able to that when she was her age.

"Kurt, scout behind the waterfall. Don't linger too long." Wolverine gestured to the blue man standing behind him. Kurt was gone and reappeared seconds later.

"Der is a door, metal of course, behind the waterfall. No persons present."

Xavier looked grave. "He knew we were coming of course, he wants us to make it inside so that he has the greater advantage in his metal-clad sanctuary."

"So we're going in right?" Wolverine smirked. This was his favourite kind of battle, all odds against them.

"I'm afraid so, there is nothing else we can do."

"Kitty go poke your head in through that door. Only far enough that you can see what's on the other side. Don't get carried away." Logan ordered.

Kurt grabbed Kitty's hand and together they disappeared. When they came back, Kitty just shook her head.

"There's nothing, just a long tunnel."

"What kind of game are you playing Erik? Where is this leading?" Charles murmured to himself.

* * *

><p>They made their way behind the waterfall. The metal door was locked but Kitty just phased them through it. Wolverine led them down the tunnel, while Rogue and Gambit held up the rear.<p>

Soon enough, they stumbled upon a second metal door, this time it was unlocked. Wolverine whipped it open, knowing that whoever was in there already knew they were there.

Sitting in front of them on what seemed to be a throne, was Magneto; to his right stood Sabertooth and Pyro, to his left stood Quicksilver and the Scarlett Witch.

"Nice of you to join us, Charles and I see you brought your band of merry men." Magneto chuckled at his own joke and leaned back in his seat.

"Erik, what are you doing?" The Professor asked. "She is an innocent girl! We cannot risk a war with the humans, it is too dangerous."

"Innocent girl, Charles? Surely you know by now that she is a mutant?" Magneto saw the look on Xavier's face and smiled, "Ah, so you did know, but you just did not know what she could do. It is quite remarkable actually. She can breathe life into inanimate objects with just a touch of her hand. She can also control these objects and see the world through their eyes."

Realization hit Rogue. Magneto was going to use this poor girl, use her to try to build an army. An army that would help him destroy her own father.

"Yah can't use her like that! She's just a kid!" Rogue yelled as she made her way towards Magneto. Sabertooth growled when she got too close.

"Rogue, is it? You're the one who exposed my whole plan to Charles, but your powers are quite useful. I will let you join me if you pledge your allegiance."

Rogue couldn't believe her ears. The man wanted her to join him. Was he mad?

She spit on the ground at his feet and looked him squarely in the eyes. "Ah will never, ever be a pawn again. Ah will never be used again. Nor will Sophie."

Magneto nodded to Quicksilver who grabbed hold of Rogue's arms before she could move.

"Child, you do not know who you speak too. I cannot let you or your friends leave this place now. You pose as a threat to my plan."

"Erik..." Xavier barely had a chance to say his name before Pyro created a giant, fire-breathing lion.

Over the ruckus, Magneto looked at his old friend and said, "I do what I must, Charles, to protect our kind from the threat of humans. Even if that means that I must destroy some of my fellow mutants."


	13. Mission, Part 2

**Super long chapter! It just kept ****going! Thank you much to all my wonderful reviewers. You always make me smile when I read your reviews. I hope that you continue to enjoy the story and give me feedback!**

**Disclaimer: Everything, but the plot, Claire and Sophie, belongs to Marvel. I just borrow them.**

Chapter 13:

There was no time to assess the situation. The X-men had to attack now and they had to attack fast. They did outnumber Magneto's men but there was one key difference; while the X-men aimed to simply knock their opponents unconscious or restrain them somehow, Magneto's men went in for the kill.

Wolverine growled as Sabertooth bounded towards him. The two had a long feud that no one else cared to join; it would prove much too dangerous. The sound of metal clinking rang through the air as Wolverine brought his claws together, bracing himself for the impact of Sabertooth's attack. The two danced their deadly dance as everyone else battled their own demons.

Rogue managed to pull free of Quicksilver's grasp as he became momentarily distracted by Pyro's display. Using her super strength, she flipped him over her shoulder before quickly pulling off her glove. Her surprise attack had worked well, the speed demon was stunned just long enough for her to get her hand to his face. She took just enough energy to knock him out and to absorb his power as well.

Kurt, Jean and the Professor all battled Magneto. Kurt was attempting to grab Magneto's helmet so the Professor and Jean could penetrate his mind, but each time he teleported, Magneto was ready, using pieces of his metal clad lair to slam Kurt against a wall.

Kitty and Storm were up against Pyro. Storm created a small raincloud that hovered above Pyro's head and began to rain on him, but before it could damage his equipment, his giant fire lion turned into a snake and struck at Storm, knocking her off balance. Kitty then managed to get behind Pyro while he was distracted with Storm and ran her hand through his equipment. It fizzled momentarily and his fire lion suddenly vanished. He looked stunned when he turned around to see Kitty.

She frowned at him and said, "What are you doing here John. You should be with us..." She paused, then whispered the last part, Rogue had to strain to hear it, "With me."

"Kitty, it could never be. Plus aren't you with that Colossus guy?"

"I don't love him like I love you."

The whole conversation took only a few seconds, but that gave Storm enough time to regain her balance and strike Pyro with a single bolt of lightning. It caught him by surprised and knocked him out cold. Rogue watched as a single tear ran down her face.

It felt as if everything was happening in slow motion. Maybe it was because she had absorbed Quicksilver's power and therefore her entire body was moving in high speed even if she wasn't aware of it. It felt as if she was simply an observer and not an active participant in this fight.

As she turned her head to survey the rest of the room she spotted Remy fighting the Scarlett Witch. He was flinging cards left and right but they never seemed to make contact. Remy went flying as Wanda sent objects flying at him, most hitting him square in the chest.

Rogue felt a sense of obligation come over her, she felt the need to not only help him but to run to him and to see how he was doing. It seemed odd to her that she should feel protective of this man when her best friend and her brother fought battles of their own.

She realized she didn't have much time left. The Scarlett Witch was about to make her final blow, one that would leave Remy dead or barely clinging to life. A silver spear was suspended in the air above her head. Rogue moved as fast as she could, which was very fast thanks to her new gained powers. Her gloves went flying in opposite directions as she tore them off. Before the Scarlett Witch could do anything, both of Rogue's hands were on her face, absorbing her life force.

Rogue was furious. She had never felt this kind of anger before and it kept her hanging on for longer than she should. She could feel the life force flowing out of her victim and into her but she didn't let go. She wanted this woman dead and she was willing to hang on to make that happen.

She only let go when she felt two hands grab her by the shoulders and shake her. This seemed to wake her from her trance and her hands dropped to her sides. The Scarlett Witch fell to the ground, her breathing shallow and her chest barely rising. Rogue turned to see who had stopped her and she stared directly into red on black eyes.

She felt the shame welling up in her chest. She couldn't believe that she had deliberately tried to take another's life, she didn't do that, she wasn't like these people. Remy kept his hands firmly on her shoulders until the tears began flowing freely from her eyes. He couldn't stand it anymore. He pulled her close and held her tight as the sounds of battle still raged around them.

He kissed the top of her head gently and rubbed her back. He felt the urge wipe her tears and kiss away her pain but he knew that wasn't a good course of action, so for now he would be happy with the embrace he had.

On the other side of the room, Storm and Kitty had gone to help the other's battle Magneto. Kurt teleported behind Magneto as he had done many times and succeeded in distracting him just long enough for Kitty to phase up out of the ground and grab his helmet. She then instantly phased back through the ground as the Professor and Jean penetrated Magneto's mind.

Magneto collapsed to his knees as the two telepaths delved deeper into his mind, trying to discover his ultimate plan as well as the location of the girl. As they did so, Wolverine and Sabertooth continued to battle even though it was obvious the X-men has won.

Rogue broke the embrace between her and Remy just in time to see Wolverine panting as Sabertooth came hurtling at him. Using her new favourite power of super-speed, she rushed into the middle of their fight and grabbed Sabertooth by the arm. She held on just long enough to knock him unconscious. She didn't absorb any of his powers or thoughts because she did not want to become overwhelmed by his neverending anger. Sabertooth fell to the ground with a loud "thud" and lay there unmoving.

"Didn't need you to save me, Kid. I had it all under control." Wolverine growled.

"Ah'm sure you did Logan, I was just gettin' tired of you dancin' around like ballerinas so Ah thought Ah'd put an end to it." Rogue said as she winked at him.

Logan looked around at all the unconscious members of Magneto's team and turned back to Rogue.

"You're like a fucking one-man army, Rogue. This is fucking crazy." He commented with a slight smile.

"One-girl." She replied.

"What?" Logan said absently, not quite understanding what she said.

"One-girl army. Don't be callin' me no man. Ah can prove Ah'm a girl if yah'd like." She said with a laugh.

"No, that's alright there kid, I believe you." Logan looked slightly uncomfortable with the previous suggestion.

"We know where she is, but Magneto has had another telepath implement several complicated blocks in his mind. We will have to take him back to the Institute to get further information from him." The Professor interrupted.

"Let's go get her." Rogue said cheerfully, she was glad that they had found her and that she was, hopefully, unharmed.

* * *

><p>Remy watched as Rogue almost skipped towards the Professor. Her excitement about finding the girl was obvious. He figured Rogue probably saw this girl as a younger version of herself, being used because of her power.<p>

He could hardly believe what had just transpired between them. Did this mean he was forgiven for that unfortunate incident with Claire earlier in the day? Or was he still in the bad books? He was just going to have to wait to find out.

Rogue pushed open the heavy metal door that was locked from the outside to reveal a small room. Sitting in the corner furthest from the door was a small figure, barely visible in the low light. Rogue walked over to her slowly, not wanting to scare the poor girl.

"Hey sugah. My name is Rogue. We're here to take you home. Did they hurt you in any way?"

"No, they didn't." The girl said without lifting her head. "I don't know if I can even go home now. Everyone will know I'm a mutant."

Rogue knelt down and lifted the girl's chin with her fingers. "If you don't want to go back, you will always have a home with us. We just need to let your dad know that you're alright."

The girl looked at her in the eyes and smiled. "You're the one that found my dove. I knew you would come for me, I just knew it."

Rogue smiled as she pulled the tiny plastic dove out her pocket and placed it in the girl's palm. Sophie's fingers closed up around it, clutching the bird tightly in her hand.

"Is it true what you said about me having a home with you?" Sophie asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

Rogue glanced back at the Professor who nodded. "Yes, Sophie, it is true. We live in a school for mutants. You'll be safe there, and hopefully happy too."

"I think I'd like that." Sophie said, a single tear rolling down her cheek a she smiled at Rogue. "I'd like to go with you."

Rogue grasped Sophie's hand and she helped her to stand. She put her free arm around the girl' shoulders and pulled her close.

The Professor spoke up as they walked closer. "Sophie, my friend, you will always have a place amongst us."

"But for now sugah, let's go see that daddy of yours. Ah think he's about to declare war or somethin'."

* * *

><p>They left Magneto's men where they lay. They would come too eventually, Rogue assured them. With her new control she was able to estimate how long her victims would be out. It may take the Scarlett Witch a little longer to recover but the others should awaken to help her in a couple hours.<p>

They made their way back to the Blackbird without a problem. Logan carried Magneto over his shoulder. The man was out cold after Jean and the Professor finished with him, but just to be safe Rogue gave him a little tap, just enough to ensure that he stayed unconscious the entire way home.

When they made it back to the mansion, they dropped everyone off except the Professor, Sophie and Rogue. Sophie insisted that Rogue come with her since she was scared to face her parents alone. Hank was waiting for them when they returned. After they had made sure that Magneto was properly restrained in the Med-lab and nothing metal was anywhere near him, they left him in Jean's care with strict instructions to administer a strong sleeping drought should he show any signs of consciousness.

* * *

><p>Rogue held Sophie's hand the entire flight to Washington, D.C. The girl was so terrified of what her father would say that she shook non-stop no matter what Rogue did to distract her. She was convinced her father would disown her; he was publicly known to lean more towards the anti-mutant campaigns than the pro-mutant ones. What would the public do when they discovered his own daughter was a mutant?<p>

Rogue had already fallen in love with this girl, she reminded her of herself when she was that age. So young, so vulnerable yet harbouring a dangerous power. They were both so afraid of their fathers; Rogue just hoped that Sophie's father would be more understanding than her own.

When they landed, Rogue felt Sophie's arms snake around her waist. The girl did not want to let Rogue out of her sights, scared that if she did, even for just a moment, her guardian angel would disappear.

They were ushered in by a team of security guards and after passing the metal detector and a pat-down each, they were led into the oval office. Rogue thought the process was all a little ridiculous since she could kill a man with just a touch but decided not to mention that to security, they probably wouldn't appreciate it.

The President's eyes lit up with joy when the Sophie walked into the room and she ran to greet him. He stood up quickly to hug his daughter and he held her tight. After they had embraced, he turned to look at the Professor and his companions and nodded his head.

"Thank you my friends, for returning my daughter to me in one piece. I was so worried." He smiled down at his daughter. "If you'd excuse me, I'd just like to call my wife to let her know that Sophie is home."

"Please sir, call your wife but we would like to discuss something with you when she arrives." Hank informed the President.

"Payment? Is that what you want? Because I can pay you; there is no amount of money in the world that could equal my joy at this moment."

"Call your wife, Mr. President, this has nothing to do with money." Charles clarified.

"What's going on here? What are you not telling me?" Sophie could hear the anger building in her father's voice, she knew it would come and when it did, it would come hard.

"Please daddy, just call mom. It's nothing bad. It's about me." Sophie pleaded with her father. The hard look that had developed on his face softened when he looked at her.

"Ok Sophie, I'll do it for you."

Moments later, Sophie's mother Margaret entered the room. She ran to her daughter and gathered her in her arms. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as her worst fears were alleviated.

She took her seat on the couch next to her husband and Sophie weaseled her way between them.

"Mr. President, Sophie has something she would like to tell you."

Sophie stared at the Professor. He was going to make her tell them on her own? She couldn't believe it. She began to shake again as her father turned to look at her. She glanced over at Rogue who gave her a small smile that said, "Go ahead Sophie, I'll be here if anything happens."

"Mom, Dad, over the last couple months I've been hiding something from you, something big..." She didn't know how to word it, so she was just going to say it, "I'm a mutant."

Her father's face fell, "What do you mean?"

"I'm a mutant dad. I want to show you what I can do."

"No daughter of mine will be a mutant. There's no way." He looked at the Professor. "This is your fault! You did this to her!"

"No, my friend. I did not. Sophie has been hiding this power from you for several months. This had nothing to do with me..." He looked at Hank and Rogue, "Or my X-men."

"Oh Michael, don't be stupid. You've been so busy over the last couple months, of course you didn't notice it. You didn't see the way she avoided practically everyone. Honey, why don't you show him?" said Margaret to her husband then her daughter. Michael could be so thick sometimes. She had noticed months ago that Sophie had not only been avoiding them, but touching things as well. She always asked someone to open a door for her, which made some people think she was just a spoiled princess, but her mother knew better. Sophie was the sweetest girl she had ever met, and that wasn't because she was her mother.

Margaret looked at her daughter and smiled. It was time to tell her husband and daughter her family secret; something she had kept hidden from her husband for their entire relationship and had never told Sophie in fear that Michael would find out. But first Sophie needed to show her father what she could do.

Sophie pulled out the tiny white dove from her pocket. The President looked at her with a puzzled expression. This was all going too fast. He wondered how his supporters would react when they found out his daughter was a mutant. He shook his head and told himself to be a father and just that, for the next little while he wasn't the President, he would just be Sophie's father.

The dove sat on Sophie's open palm. Michael watched as she closed her hand and opened it again. Her eyes were closed as if she was scared. He couldn't believe it; his own daughter was terrified of her, how did this ever get to that point?

As her hand opened, the dove came to life and flew around the room. Michael's mouth flew open and he stared in disbelief. It was amazing, the bird hovered for a moment in front of him and seemed to smile. He turned to Margaret who just smiled at him.

"That's amazing." He whispered to Sophie.

Sophie smiled as tears began to stream down her face.

"Why are you crying sweetheart? What's wrong?" Michael asked, terrified he'd done something wrong.

"I was just so scared that you would disown me or something and throw me out. I was so scared." She said, barely above a whisper.

He turned to her and pulled her into a strong embrace. He couldn't believe that he was such a terrible father that his daughter was worried about being disowned.

"Sophie, when you were born, I didn't care whether you were perfect or not, you were you and you were beautiful. You could have born horribly disfigured and I would have loved you just the same. This changes nothing between us. I love you just the same." Sophie looked up at her father, her eyes rimmed with red and sniffled.

"Really?" She asked simply.

"Yes sweetheart."

Rogue had to hold back some tears herself. She had never seen such a beautiful sight. Sophie had finally stopped shaking and sat comfortably in her father's arms. She turned and smiled at Rogue.

"Before you ask us what you were going to, Professor, I'd like to tell my husband and daughter something that you probably already know." Margaret told Charles.

"Of course Margaret, you've been keeping it from them for too long already." Charles replied.

"What are you talking about Maggie?" Michael looked at her, the puzzled look taking over his features again.

"Remember when I told you that I had two sisters that had died many years ago?" Michael nodded. "They did die but not of natural causes. They were mutants."

Michael nodded slowly. This was all happening so quickly but it was starting to make sense. He knew his wife loved him dearly but she never seemed to support his anti-mutant campaigning. Now, Sophie, her sisters; it all made so much sense.

"What could they do?" He asked.

"My one sister was a telepath, meaning she can read minds and such. My other sister could transform herself into any animal she could think of. It was really quite beautiful."

Margaret looked at the Professor and smiled, "You were always so understanding, you made them feel at home."

"It was the least I could do, they were wonderful X-men." Charles smiled sadly.

"I had aunts that were X-men?" Sophie exclaimed.

"Yes, honey. Ah knew them. Ah didn't know they were your aunts though." Rogue said to the shocked girl.

"Dad, I want to go to the Institute. I want to learn how to control my powers better. I want to be able to use them for good." Sophie had turned back to her father.

"You have my blessing Sophie. It is dangerous work but I know you will be well taken care of." Her mother said to her.

"Dad?" She looked at her father, her eyes large and pleading.

"Um... Would you go if I said no?" He asked.

"Probably dad, I belong there. They can teach me so much. I wouldn't like it if you said no, but I would still go." She said honestly.

He looked at her sadly, realizing that he could lose her forever if he said no. "Ok, you can go with them. I know they'll take good care of you."

With that Sophie hugged both her parents and left with her mother to pack her things. Moments later she met them at the Blackbird. She hugged her parents again and told them that she would be back soon to visit.

Rogue smiled at Sophie. "Let's go home sugah."

They boarded the jet. Margaret had never seen her daughter so happy before. Sophie turned and waved.

"I love you." She said to her parents.

"We love you too." Her father said.

Sophie grabbed Rogue's hand and smiled up at her. Rogue already loved this girl as if she were her own sister. She was never going to let anyone hurt her again.


	14. Mixed Emotions

**Oh hello there! Sorry about the wait! Between work, school, soccer and even a social life, things have gotten pretty crazy in my world. I will do my best to write when inspiration strikes in the near future but with a full course-load and my school soccer team practicing once or twice a day it will be hard. I still adore reviews. I tend to take criticism well so if you have any critiques just post them or message me, I'll do my best to address the issue. **

**captainawesomeamazingpants: Don't get me wrong, my almost sister-in-law's name is Claire and she is a wonderful person, I love her to death. I went through my list of french names and none of them seemed to fit. I'm ridiculously name pick and Claire just seemed to click and work with the character. Claire has a very deep past that is only somewhat revealed in this chapter. She's been through a lot. I like to think of her less like a bitch and more like a victim. Though, I do know her past and you don't, but it'll all become clear. The other thing is that I also know her future. I hope you keep reading!**

**Disclaimer: *Ahem* I'd just like to announce that I do not own these characters except for my wonderful ladies Claire and Sophie. So please do not sue me, you will gain nothing. I have $0.76 to my name at the moment, and a couple buttons. **

Chapter 14:**  
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When Remy returned to the mansion, he went to his room to change out of his sweaty clothes and then went to find some X-men to tell him what had gone on. When he entered the rec room, he noticed that some of the male X-men seemed slightly dazed, particularly Bobby and Warren. They had the same lovesick expression that Scott wore earlier in the day.

The rest of the X-men had returned from some damage control and had been properly introduced to Claire he supposed. He looked over at Bobby again and realized that Iceman had a frozen piece of drool clinging to his mouth.

Bobby looked at Remy and said, "Isn't she the most beautiful woman you have ever seen?"

"Non, mon ami. She is not." Remy answered honestly. He had seen much more beautiful women before.

Bobby seemed to pout, obviously not impressed with Remy's answer. Claire entered the Rec room and Bobby's eyes lit up as he ran to be by her side. Claire groaned when she saw him coming. He had been clinging on to her all day and she couldn't bring herself to give him a vision so that he'd leave her alone. She was trying to make friends here, not enemies. Claire smiled when she saw Remy sitting on the couch and she plopped down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Remy had nothing against Claire. Her fear overwhelmed him when she was near him. The tough front she put on was just an illusion, meant to scare people away before they got too close, but she was comfortable with Remy and she wanted him to get close. It was the first time she had felt this way.

Before she had developed her power guys showed little interest in her. Sure, she was pretty but she was never gorgeous. When her power manifested, guys flocked to her. They followed her around, whistled at her constantly, and wrote her poems. Some even went so far as to send disgustingly sexual letters to her house. She was 15 years old.

It had been frightening at the time but she soon learned how to defend herself and that was when the second part of her mutation developed. One day, when she was walking home from school, an older man, probably in his mid-fifties followed her for blocks. Finally, on an isolated street he pulled her into an alley and began to unbutton his pants.

She had looked up at him and realized that he was going to rape her. She tried to fight back but he was surprisingly strong. He held both her hands over her head with one hand as he pinned her legs down with his knees. His pants unbuttoned, he pushed up her skirt and pulled down her underwear.

She struggled continuously but soon realized that it was futile. She begged him to let her go, but he just grunted. She wished there was a way to get him off of her and all of a sudden, another voice was present in her head.

"Fucking ripe little bitch. Haven't ever seen not'in this beautiful before. Gonna make it worth her while."

She knew he wasn't speaking because she couldn't see his lips moving. She pushed her mind into his thoughts and she felt an image pull at her mind, begging her to make it real. She moulded the image so that it had sounds and smells as well as the visual aspect; she added the sensation of touch. She didn't realize that it was all real until she felt the grip on her arms loosen and her attacker fell over on his side.

She scrambled to get up, pulling her underwear up as she did. He had a satisfied expression on his face and he lay there unmoving.

This was not the first or the last time a man had attempted to rape her, but it was the first time she was able to use her powers to help herself. The feeling made her feel powerful, superior to those around her.

* * *

><p>Remy looked at Claire. She had her eyes closed and a sad smile on her face she rested her head on his shoulder. He couldn't do this. He felt as if he was leading her on even though he had told her that he was not interested.<p>

"Claire?" He whispered into her ear.

"Yea, Remy honey?" She responded with a dreamy tone.

"Ah can't do dis. Ah t'ink we need to keep our distance. Yah know Ah don't return your feelings."

"You're a fucking asshole, Remy. Maybe I just want to be friends and be able to sit on a couch together!" She jerked her head up and stared at him. She couldn't believe him. He still wanted that little Rogue bitch.

"Dat's not true chere, yah know it ain't. Ah can feel your desire for me, yah can't hide it from an empath Claire. It just don' work dat way." Remy sighed sadly. He had known this wouldn't go well but he just needed Claire to back off.

He stood up quickly. "Ah'm leavin' now, don' follow me Claire. Ah don' wanna hurt yah."

He turned and left the room. He could feel a mixture of sadness and anger roll over Claire as she glared at him. He tried to ignore it but it was completely overwhelming. There was something deeply messed up about that girl and he did not want to get tangled up in it.

* * *

><p>Rogue gave Sophie a tour of the mansion. Even though she had lived in the White House, Sophie was thrilled about everything; from the lighting to the curtains, to her everything was beautiful. Rogue showed her the classrooms and the kitchen. She took her up to the fourth floor to show her where the teachers stayed and where Rogue herself was staying. She told Sophie that all she had to do was knock and Rogue would be there for her. She then took her down to the third floor to show her where her room was. Sophie had requested a single bedroom, not because she was spoiled but because she just preferred to be by herself.<p>

Her things were already sitting on her bed, begging to be unpacked. She had brought several small trinkets to personalize her room, to officially make it her own. Rogue left her to unpack since Sophie had said she didn't need any help.

As Rogue made her way back up to the fourth floor to go change into something more comfortable, she was surprised to see someone standing at her door.

Jean turned to look at Rogue when she heard her footsteps.

"Hey Jean, what can Ah do for yah?" Rogue asked, surprised to see the redhead at her door.

"I wanted to talk to you about Remy." Jean replied.

"Remy?" Rogue swallowed. "What's up?"

"I saw him in the Rec room with that Claire girl. She was all over him. I could read her mind, she's definitely into him, but because of his static interference, I couldn't get a clear reading on Remy."

"So? What's this to me?" Rogue asked, trying to hide a hurt expression.

"I know you two are getting close. I saw you back at Magneto's lair. I saw when you cried in his arms. I just don't want you getting hurt. He's a player and I think he just enjoys the challenge of the girl who can't touch."

"Ah don't care who he gets close to, there's nothin' goin' on between us."

"Rogue, this is me you're talking to; I'm your friend and a telepath. I can tell that my news had hurt you but I just wanted you to be warned." Jean placed her hand on Rogue's shoulder and gave her a small smile. "If ever you need someone to talk to, don't be afraid to come to me."

She pulled Rogue into a quick hug then left to go to her room. Rogue was confused by her feelings. Was Remy just trying to make her jealous? Maybe he had given up already and had moved on. She did not know what to think or how to feel. She had never really been caught up in love games. In the past, she had avoided them at all cost, preferring her solitude to the company of couples.

Now, she was presented with a man who wanted her to give him a chance, who had pleaded with her to do so. Then off he goes with another woman and doesn't even wait for her to get back to the mansion.

Was this all a game to him? Just one big joke? Sometimes it was hard to tell. He had seemed so sincere in the woods earlier in the day. She realized that she was still standing in the hall and pulled open the door to her room.

She gasped when she saw her desk. There were at least two dozen black roses sitting there in a clear vase. She walked over and read the card that was stuck in them.

"Forgive me." She said aloud. It was the only thing the note said. She knew they were from Remy.

Suddenly she sensed a presence behind her. She whipped around, ready to toss whoever it was for surprising her. Standing behind her was the Cajun.

"They're beautiful" was all she could manage.

"Not as beautiful as you chère. Ah meant what Ah said earlier Rogue. Dis isn't just some fling to me. Ah feel somethin' between us dat Ah never felt before. Dis is different. Jus' give dis ol' swamp rat a chance." Remy's face was sincere as he spoke the words.

Rogue could feel his sincerity wash over her as she was overcome with a mix of emotions. She wasn't sure what to do. Part of her wanted to run to him and kiss him fiercely, she wanted him that bad. Another part, replayed Jean's words in her mind, telling her that this was all just another trick.

"He's an empath," she thought to herself, "he must have some idea how to manipulate emotions."

And yet another part of her just wanted to curl up on her bed and cry. She felt overwhelmed by her emotions. She didn't know how to handle them.

Before she could make up her mind she felt his warmth draw nearer. His hand lifted her chin so that her eyes met his. Slowly, he brought his lips closer to hers and kissed her. The kiss lasted just a moment, but it was enough. She felt her fears and hesitation melt away as his lips met hers. Her knees buckled slightly and he placed his hand on her back to help steady her.

His face lingered near hers after he pulled away slightly from the kiss. He did not want to overwhelm her completely, though he knew that even his small kiss was a lot for her. He remembered what Storm had said about her not having any human contact until just recently and none of it had been intimate like this.

He opened his eyes to see hers staring back at him in amazement. The kiss had been so brief that she hadn't even prepared for his touch and therefore hadn't tried to deactivate her power. Yet, she hadn't felt the pull that normally accompanied the use of her powers. All she felt was a slight tingly feeling in her lips.

"Please, chère, Ah'll do anythin'. You just name it. Ah want you to trust me."

"What about that Claire girl?" Rogue asked.

"She turned up earlier and Ah showed her around. She got de wrong impression, dat's all." Remy said truthfully, "She ain't de girl for me." He finished.

Yet again, he inched his lips forward slowly, giving her a chance to pull away should she want to. But Rogue didn't want to move away, she wanted more. She wanted to touch, to feel, to be loved. Her lips met his hungrily and she deepened his kiss. It took everything Remy had in him to end the kiss. He didn't want to move to fast. He wanted to prove to Rogue that she wasn't just another one night stand. She was special, and he wanted her to feel special, to feel wanted.

"Chère, Ah want to take you out to a nice restaurant and treat you like de lady you are." Remy told her. "Friday night?"

Rogue had to think about it. Today was Wednesday, which gave her only Thursday between now and Friday. Not much time to back out if she had to, but she didn't feel like she was going to back out. She was drawn to this man. She had to give him this one chance, so he could prove what he said to her. She pulled away from him, put her hand on her hip and ran her eyes up and down his body. She smiled slyly.

She hesitated only slightly before saying, "Ok sugah, but Ah expect a real nice dinner and some more flowers."

Remy smiled. There she was, the girl he had fallen for so quickly.


	15. Anger

**Wow! It sure has been a while. I'm so very sorry about my almost exactly one month absence from writing. The chapter is a little short, and I may review it later but I finally felt a little inspired to write/ actually had the time to do it. Please enjoy!**

Chapter 15:

An odd feeling came over Rogue as Remy left her room. She felt satisfied, but it was more than that, could it be, dare she think it, excitement?

Did she really just agree to go out on an actual date with that man? What if he got the wrong idea? Sure she liked him, but she still didn't have complete control over her powers, she'd have to think of a way to avoid direct physical contact with him, though she had a feeling that may be difficult.

She was going on a real date. He wanted to take her somewhere nice, which meant she'd have to have something nice to wear; which she did not. She owned one dress and it was the one she had been talked into wearing when she had graduated. She'd have to call in the big guns on this mission. She picked up her phone from her bed and sent the only person that could help a text message.

_Shopping emergency. Need to go ASAP._

She hoped that Kitty would be able to go with her sometime tomorrow and help her find something suitable that was sexy yet still covered her up. Maybe Sophie would want to come. She wasn't scheduled to start classes until the following Monday so she'd have the day off tomorrow.

Rogue hummed happily as she pulled on her pajamas and slid into bed. She fell easily into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>After Remy had left the Rec Room, Claire had followed behind him. She felt bad that she had yelled at him like that. She had lied and told him that she just wanted to be friends; she knew that he knew she didn't mean that but she needed him. He was the only man in the world that could be normal around her. He was her man.<p>

It wasn't like he could touch that Rogue girl anyways. She was untouchable. Who the hell would want to be with an untouchable woman? She'd never be able to fulfill his needs like Claire could. Claire could pleasure him in ways that he never thought possible. Show him things and do things to him that he had never seen before. She had that power.

When Claire finally caught up to Remy he was standing in the doorway of Rogue's room. Claire felt the anger in her boil up again. She couldn't understand his attraction to her. Did he like a challenge? That must be it. Rogue was just another challenge, another girl he could conquer and toss the next day.

Claire had a plan. She wanted to show him how serious she was about them being together; so show him she would.

* * *

><p>Remy left Rogue's room with a slight skip in his step. He felt as if he had already won the biggest battle and it would only be little battles here and there before he won the war. She had agreed to go on a date with him and he was ecstatic.<p>

He made his way back to his room quickly. He opened the door and slid in.

He sensed her before he saw her. He could feel the desire wash over her, her lust was over-powering. Normally he would jump all over that but he couldn't do it. Not after finally convincing Rogue to go out on a date with him.

He flipped the light switch and the light flickered on. Before him, lying on his bed rather provocatively was a completely naked Claire. Her eyes half closed and a sexy smile on her face.

Remy looked her straight in the eyes and shook his head. There weren't even words to describe what he was feeling. Disgust didn't seem right but it was the most fitting word he could think of.

"Get out Claire. Now." He demanded. "Put ya clothes on and just get out."

"I know you want me Remy. A man like you has needs that must filled. What is that Rogue girl ever going to do for you? Nothing!"

"Claire. Dis has nothin' wit Rogue. Dis is about you and me. Whatever you think will happen between us never will. Ah don't want you."

Remy knew he was being harsh but he also knew that she needed a dose of reality. Otherwise she may never leave him alone and the last thing he needed was a crazy, obsessive stalker.

A tear rolled down Claire's cheek as she fought the overwhelming urge to cry right there and then. She wouldn't let him get to her. She had never let any guy get to her, she wasn't about to start now.

"You're a dick Remy. I don't know what I saw in you."

Now there wasn't any room for sadness, all that was left was anger. Remy could feel the room fill with her anger. It resonated off the walls, the furniture, everything. He had never felt anger this strong. Claire picked up her clothes off the floor, threw on just the necessities and stormed out of his room.

Remy knew, he just knew, that she was leaving the mansion but this wouldn't be the last time he saw her.

* * *

><p>The Professor lifted his eyes off the book he was reading as he felt a wave of anger wash over him. Never had he been connected with someone with this much anger, even Magneto wasn't this angry.<p>

Images flooded his mind as he sensed her pack her things and prepare to leave.

Memories for her turbulent past were at the forefront of her mind, which is exactly what hit him first. He saw a young Claire sitting on the porch enjoying an ice cream cone. She couldn't have been any older than 8 years old. Her ice cream was melting too quickly for her and she accidentally dripped some onto her dress.

A middle-aged woman emerged from the front door and observed the mess Claire was making. She made her way over to young Claire and grabbed her by the hair, all the while muttering things such as, "Stupid girl, can't even eat an ice cream cone properly." Or "Little bitch is gonna get it when her daddy comes home."

Next, Charles can see a large, burly man approaching an older Claire, maybe 13 or 14 at this point. She looked terrified and pleaded with the man, "Please daddy, not today. I don't feel good."

Her pleas went unheard as the man undid his pants and pushed her onto the unmade bed. Claire whimpered as his weight crashed down on top of her.

After a couple deep breaths, Charles was able to free himself from the grasp of the angry memories. Obviously something had upset Claire, but her thoughts were so fogged with anger that he couldn't be sure what. After a few moments two names became clear, Remy and Rogue.

He sensed her gather what little possessions she had and within moments he was gone. The front door to the mansion slammed loudly as she made her way out.

Charles sighed sadly. He realized there was nothing he could do for her. Her anger was rooted so deeply in her that any intervention may only aggravate it further. Perhaps one day she would be read to come to him for help, but for the time being he knew that she just needed to be left alone.

* * *

><p>The whole mansion awoke with the noise and several of the younger students were under the impression that they were under attack.<p>

Charles made his way to the main floor foyer in order to control the commotion. The use of his telepathy on some of the younger children still frightened them so it was necessary for the situation to be handled in person.

He quickly explained that there had been a misunderstanding and that they were not at all under attack. After a couple moments he finally convinced the students to go back to bed and not to worry at all.

Remy had still been awake when he heard the door slam. He knew automatically who it was and why, but he took his time getting to the source of the commotion. When he reached the foyer he saw that the professor was already there. He felt the man's eyes on him only momentarily before he heard the professor's voice ringing through his head.

_My office, as soon as the students are back in bed._

Remy nodded his head slowly. This wasn't the time to disagree or argue. He knew how to choose his battles. He had been doing it his entire life.

After about 20 minutes when even the oldest students had made their way back to their rooms, Remy met with the Professor in his office.

"Let me just begin by saying that you are here because your name was the last one on Claire's mind. I know that you two had become rather close." The Professor began.

"Not close really, friends maybe but she wanted more and Ah didn't." Remy replied.

"That was the source of the argument?" The professor asked. "Or is there something you are not telling me?"

"When Ah returned to my room dis evening' Ah found her on my bed naked. Ah told her that nothing could happen between us, but she didn't like dat explanation. "

"I see."

"Please, Professor, she's gone. Ah just want to put all dat behind me and start again here fresh."

"I'm glad that you are so comfortable so soon Remy, but I must warn you that I will not tolerate you breaking the hearts of all the girls and women in the school. Some are more fragile than others."

Remy knew he was talking about Rogue. They always were. They spoke about her as if she were an infant or a duckling or something equally as fragile and unprotected.

"Don't ya worry professor, Ah don't see no more heart-breaking in mah near future."

The Professor nodded."Good night Remy, please get some sleep."

"Good night professor."


	16. Excitement

**Two updates in a very short time! It must be midterms! I write to avoid studying, is that terrible or what? Anyways I have an Organic Chem midterm tomorrow that was all but forgotten when the inspiration to write another chapter hit me this evening. Oh well, you gotta do, what'cha gotta do. **

**Please enjoy! And remember reviews = love. I adore hearing all your feedback. Thank you kindly!**

Chapter 16:

Rogue awoke to a knock on her door. Still half-asleep, she pulled herself out of bed and yanked open the door. Before her stood Sophie, a huge smile plastered on her face, holding a muffin and a banana in her hands.

"I'm so sorry if I woke you up Rogue! I just thought I would bring you some breakfast and maybe we could talk. I made some friends! Everyone here is so friendly and no one thinks I'm a freak or crazy!" Sophie was babbling away happily, content to just stand in the doorway and talk.

"Why don't yah come in sugah?" Rogue said as she ushered the girl into her room. They sat down on her unmade bed and Sophie continued with her story.

"Thanks Rogue! Oh these are for you. I'm so excited I almost forgot to give them to you." She giggled softly as she thrust the muffin and the banana into Rogue's hands. "And some of the guys here are so cute! When I went for breakfast this morning, I didn't know anyone so I just sat down at a table by myself. This one guy, Stefan I think he said his name was, just came and sat down beside me and introduced himself. Soon enough all his friends came to sit with us too!" Sophie barely took any breaths as she spoke; Rogue was amazed that she hadn't passed out from a lack of oxygen yet.

"Stefan was really cool. He asked me about my mutation and what I could do. So I showed him." She pulled a little toy deer out of her pocket. It was the plastic kind that came in a bucket full of other animals. Rogue smiled when she realized that Sophie always had one of those little toys on her. The girl was so smart for her age it was amazing. Her mutation had only manifested a couple of months ago yet she seemed so sure of herself, so confident in her abilities.

"My mom was curious when I started buying buckets of these things from the dollar store. She thought I was crazy or regressing into a childlike state or something like that at first. I guess she started to figure it out after a while though. I told her they were for a science project. I guess she didn't believe me."

Sophie put the deer down on Rogue's bed. As soon as it left her hand, it came to life, prancing around on the bed like a real deer would. Rogue couldn't help but wonder how powerful Sophie would be when she gained full control and understanding of her abilities. She would be truly amazing.

"Anyways, Stefan told me that I was amazing. Not just what I did, Rogue, but me in general. And he was so cute! He said that his power wasn't as cool as mine but it did have its uses. He said that he could manipulate water. And I had a glass of water in front of me. He made it move! The water danced in front of me. It was beautiful."

Rogue knew the Stefan she was talking about. He was a bit of a show-off and was pretty popular with the rest of the kids and most of the staff because he was so friendly and sociable. He was generally a good kid and except for a few incidents with toilets overflowing, they had never really had a true problem with him. It didn't surprise Rogue that he was the first to approach Sophie.

"Anyways, we talked for a while and he introduced me to his friends who all seemed super nice, but the they had to go to class, so I thought I'd grab you something to eat and see if you wanted to hang out for a bit. If you're busy I understand..."

"No sugah, Ah'm not busy today. Ah have the day off, Ah asked the professor for some time off so Ah could show you around some more and maybe take you shopping. Or you could take me shopping." Rogue grinned slightly as she remembered the previous evening's events. Sophie's excitement had almost made her forget her own news.

"Take you shopping for what Rogue?" Sophie seemed slightly confused that Rogue was being so secretive. Whatever she was hiding she had better say it soon or she may have an assortment of items wacking her in the head. Of course, Sophie was only kidding, but if Rogue held out any longer, she may have to do it.

"Well you remember that Gambit guy that was with me when we rescued you?" Rogue asked.

"You mean the really cute one? With those weird but awesome eyes?" Rogue nodded. "Ugh, yea I remember him! He's dreamy!"

"Well Mr. Dreamy asked me on a date. And because of my mutation, Ah have never really been on a real date in the last couple years. So Ah have nothing to wear."

"He asked you on a date? That's so exciting! Of course I'll go shopping with you. We'll find you something beautiful to wear. You're going to look gorgeous Rogue!"

"Ah'm glad you're so excited. Ah'm goin' to get dressed and see what mah friend Kitty is up to in case she wants to join us, though Ah doubt she will pass it up, the girl loves any excuse to shop."

"I like her already then! I'm going to change into something a little nicer for shopping." She looked down at her jeans and t-shirt. "Maybe I'll buy myself some nice things too."

Sophie picked up the tiny deer that was still prancing happily over Rogue's messy comforter and gave him a kiss. As soon as she did, he became rigid and lifeless. He was once again just a simple, plastic toy.

Rogue walked Sophie to the door and gave her a little hug, "Ah'm really glad you decided to come here Sophie. Ah already feel as if we're sisters."

Sophie smiled at Rogue and returned the hug. "I feel the same. You're the sister I never had."

After breaking the embrace, Sophie headed down the hall to the staircase. Rogue watched her walk down the hallway with a small smile on her face.

You're the sister Ah never had either, Rogue thought to herself, Ah'm glad Ah finally found you.

She heard a door behind her open and she looked to see who had emerged. Behind her stood the Cajun, wearing nothing but a pair of sweats, Rogue was certain that he had thrown them on begrudgingly, most likely because he realized that other people lived in the mansion and he couldn't walk around naked all day.

"Do yah always parade around half naked Cajun?" She asked.

"Good mornin' to you to der gorgeous. Ah'd like yah to know dat Ah don't usually parade around half-naked, but der are children livin' here, so Ah thought Ah should put some pants on." He said with a flirty smile on his lips, confirming her earlier thought.

Rogue could have jumped him then and there. He was so god damn attractive and the Cajun drawl was driving her nuts. She couldn't believe what this man did to her, but she wasn't about to let him know that. She wanted to keep the upper hand as long as she could.

"Thanks for sparing us poor souls that sight. Though Ah must say, it gets rather chilly around the mansion, Ah'm going shopping today, maybe Ah could pick you up some t-shirts to go with those sweats?"

"Cherie, Ah don' get too cold, ma mutation me garde chaud et peut-être je peux t'aider aussi." He said with a wink.

Rogue wasn't at all fluent in French but she caught enough to realize that he was hinting at keeping her warm.

"Sugah, Ah have plenty of layers to keep me warm. Anyways, you get to close and you may not have a mutation to keep you warm any longer." It was her turn to wink at him. She decided it was time to end this little flirt-fest so she could change and see what Kitty was up to.

"Well, have a good mornin' Cajun. Ah guess Ah'll be seein' you 'round." She turned to go back into her room when she felt his hand on her covered shoulder.

"Chere, we still on for tomorrow night, right? You wouldn't lead dis poor soul on, give him hope when he shouldn't have none. Oui ou non?"

"Oui, you poor boy. Ah don't plan on goin' back on what Ah said but Ah still expect a nice dinner and some flowers. Us Southern Belles need to be wooed and woo me you will."

With that she slipped into her room and shut the door behind her. She leaned her back against the door, almost out of breath from the brief contact of his hand on her shoulder. Even through her shirt, she had felt the heat radiating from his hand, she felt a wave of emotion flow through her and it took everything she had not to show it.

As soon as she recovered, she made her way to her bed and picked up her cell phone from the nightstand. She had fallen asleep before checking whether or not Kitty had actually texted her back. Sure enough, she had not one or two messages but three from her best friend.

Message number one read: _I'm so in! Just let me know when. I don't have classes all day._

Message number two: _Emergency? Wait a minute, what emergency? This wouldn't have anything to do with a sexy Cajun would it?_

Message number three: _Alright Roguey, text me in the morning. We'll find you something sexy._

Rogue smiled at the last one. She knew Kitty would figure it out on her own. Rogue wasn't the type to go shopping just for the fun of it. She shopped like a man most of the time. She went in with a plan and it was usually an in and out type of event. She wasn't the kind to linger for hours in the mall. So for her to willingly suggest shopping at the last minute there must be a very good reason.

She slipped off her pajamas and rummaged through her drawers. Kitty had told her countless times that the best way to shop for a sexy outfit was to wear your sexiest underwear on the excursion. Kitty reasoned that it gave you confidence and some other crap.

She pulled out a black lace thong and the matching bra that she had bought once when she went shopping with Kitty. She hadn't seen the point at the time but had bought them to shut Kitty up. Now she was glad that she had them.

Over her sexy underwear she pulled on her favourite pair of jeans, a dark skinny fit pair that accentuated her ass very nicely, Kitty had once told her. Top wise, she pulled on a black tank top and a comfy grey wool cardigan that covered her up nicely but still hugged her curves. Rogue was aware that she had a nice body but she was never one to show it off in case someone got the wrong idea. But since Remy already had the wrong idea, she had nothing to lose.

She grabbed her purse and tossed her phone in. She opened her door slightly to make sure that the Cajun had actually returned to his room or left to eat or whatever else he did. Upon confirming that Remy was indeed gone she made her way down the hall to Kitty's room. Kitty taught some computer programming and basic computer skills classes at the school now so she had been upgraded to the teachers' portion of the living area.

As she passed Piotr's room she heard an undeniably familiar giggle emerging. Weighing the pros and cons of interrupting the two love birds, she decided to just knock on the door and see.

"Kitty! Get your butt out here. Preferably with some clothing on it. We've got some shoppin' to do!" Rogue yelled through the door.

The giggling got louder as Kitty made her way to the door. Rogue was surprised to see she was fully dressed.

"For someone with poisonous skin, you sure have a dirty mind." Kitty joked.

Rogue couldn't help but smile back. Kitty's jokes were harmless and Rogue had grown to expect them over the years.

"Hey Piotr!" She yelled at her giant friend.

"Hello Rogue! Kitty says you have big date, I hope you have a successful shopping mission."

"Thanks bud. Ah'm sure our mission will go quite smoothly." Rogue said with a laugh. Mission? She thought to herself. Some of the guys here think of nothing but missions.

Kitty turned back to Piotr and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Maybe I have a mission too. Maybe you'll get to see the results later..." She winked at him and gave him a sexy little smile.

She closed the door behind her and it was barely shut before she blurted out, "SO? You do have a date now don't you?"

"Ah'll tell you about it on the way to the mall Kitty. First let's go get Sophie."


	17. Shopping!

**Can I just say how much I adore the weekend? Other than a ton of soccer and a lab report to write, I have basically nothing to do. I love it! I had a somewhat crappy week but I just ate some delicious squash so I am in a wonderful mood. **

**I've started a new story called A Devil's Deal, it's completely different from this one but it should be a good read. **

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Blah blah blah. It isn't called fanfiction for nothing!  
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Chapter 17:

"So he really did ask you out! Took him long enough." Kitty exclaimed.

"He's only been at the mansion a week or so, and for half of that he was unconscious. Ah'd say three days isn't that long." Rogue answered.

"Hun, a blind person could sense the sexual tension between you two. And he's totally the reason that icky Claire left. He totally wants you."

"Kitty," Rogue dropped her voice to a whisper, "let's not go to overboard on the sexual stuff in front of Sophie. She's still a kid."

"I can hear you Rogue and I'd just like to say that I know all about sex," Sophie said, then blushed and added, "Not that I've ever done anything like that."

"See Rogue! It's just you. You can touch now, so don't be so uptight about things like this." Said Kitty.

"Ah am not being uptight, Ah just think this isn't an age appropriate conversation for her." Rogue argued.

"We learn about this stuff in like grade 5 these days. Don't you worry Rogue, I'm a big girl." Sophie sat up taller in the back seat as if to emphasize her point.

Rogue's hands gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. She wasn't being uptight; she just wasn't comfortable talking about things like this. She hated to admit that the farthest she had ever gone with a guy was a couple kisses here in there, definitely nothing more than that. She was 25 for goodness sake, why couldn't Kitty understand that she was embarrassed?

Kitty sensed that it was time to change the subject. She could feel Rogue becoming closed off and after several years of friendship, she knew when to drop something.

"So what are we looking for? Dress, skirt etc? Did he say where he was taking you? Give you any clues at all?" Kitty asked.

"He told me nothing other than to dress nice. I'm thinking dress? Maybe with sheer sleeves or something." Rogue answered.

"Well no matter what we get you, there is no doubt in my mind that you are going to look hot!" Kitty exclaimed.

When they got to the mall they had no trouble finding a parking spot. Granted it was a Thursday morning and the only people there were the mall joggers and moms with babies.

Sophie and Kitty seemed like they were completely in their element. Sophie hadn't struck Rogue as the shopping type but she definitely proved her wrong. Sophie's parents had given her a debit card with access to a quite substantial amount of money. Rogue hoped Sophie wouldn't blow too much on just one shopping trip.

Kitty and Sophie dragged Rogue in and out of multiple stores. In each one they would throw several outfits her way and force her to try them on. It was a never-ending fashion show. Dresses, skirts and tops; nothing seemed to please Kitty. She was determined to find the perfect outfit, apparently even if it killed her.

Finally, when Rogue was just about to admit defeat, they stepped into Kitty's favourite store. All the sales associates knew her by name and smiled when they saw her.

"Miss Kitty! How good to see you today. What can we do for you?" Asked a particularly perky blond girl.

"Well Daphne, I'm looking for a fantastic outfit for my dearest friend here. She has a date tomorrow night and it will be quite the fancy affair apparently. So we need something to make him fall in love her on the spot." Kitty informed the sales associate.

Rogue blushed. She didn't want Remy to fall in love with her. She barely knew the guy. Kitty's vast exaggeration was totally unrealistic.

"Well, well, we'll find you something gorgeous Miss...?" Daphne left off.

Rogue didn't know what to say. She never used her real name. She couldn't think of a single person at the institute that even knew it let alone random strangers, yet using Rogue just seemed to set people off and cause trouble.

"Urm, Charlotte." Said Rogue. She didn't know why she thought Charlotte, it was just one of the first names that came to mind. She had a friend when she was younger named Charlotte.

"Very well, Miss Charlotte. What did you have in mind?" Daphne asked.

Rogue still wasn't sure. After hours of shopping she would have been content just shopping up in jeans and a sweater. She didn't really know what she wanted anymore.

"My friend is a little on the conservative side, she likes to remain a little more covered up for modesty's sake." Kitty answered in her place.

"Yet still look hot? I think I have just the piece for you." Daphne smiled and gestured for them to follow her.

She made her way to the back of the store and picked up a black form fitting dress with a sweetheart neckline but instead of being strapless, sheer black fabric covered the top of the dress to the neck and the arms. She turned it around to show them the back. Rogue wasn't sure it would cover her ass since it was cut so low but the same sheer black fabric covered the entire back section.

Kitty gasped. "It's beautiful! Rogue you have to try it on, I would just die if you didn't."

Rogue nodded. It was a pretty dress. Not exactly modest but nothing really was in a store like this. She like how much it covered though. A pair of tights and she would be wrapped up like a Christmas present.

"It's a one of a kind piece. We sponsor some local designers and the young girl that made this is quite talented. It's all hand-sewn, especially the detailing down near the hem." Daphne said with a smile.

Rogue had to take a closer look at the bottom hem. Stitched into the fabric with matching black thread were several words, _Happiness is never far away; just don't be afraid to look._

Rogue nodded. Well there was no denying that she had to try on the dress now. The only thing more personal that could have been written was her name. Rogue was afraid to look for happiness, afraid that even if she looked for it she would never find it and be disappointed.

Daphne handed her the dress and led her to a changing room. The fabric felt soft yet firm in her hands. She stepped inside the small room and closed the door.

Off came her regular, everyday clothes and on came the dress. She was afraid to open her eyes, afraid to find disappointment once again. This dress was too perfect but she feared that on her it would be hideous.

Slowly but surely, she began to open her eyes. She gasped when she saw her reflection in the mirror. It was as if the dress were made for her. It hugged her curves and highlighted her lithe, toned body, but better yet, it was comfortable. It wasn't itchy like everything else she had tried on or too short for her liking either. It hit at the perfect spot on her legs; she bent down to do the ass test and was surprised to see it passed.

"I sure hope you're gasping because it's absolutely perfect!" Kitty told her through the door. "Get that sexy ass of yours out here and show us." She could hear Sophie giggling beside Kitty.

Rogue took a deep breath before she opened the door. She liked it, but who knew if Kitty would approve.

For a moment after she stepped out all she heard was silence. Kitty's mouth had formed an O shape and she didn't say word.

"So..?" Rogue prompted.

"I knew you were hot Rogue but I never knew you were this sexy! Damn girl those are some legs!" Kitty exclaimed excitedly.

Rogue turned to Sophie, but all Sophie could manage was a huge smile. Finally she said, "There's no way he can't fall in love with if you're wearing that dress."

"We'll take it!" Kitty shouted.

Rogue looked down at the price tag attached to her right sleeve. She gasped once again when she saw the price, "$500? There's no way Ah can afford that!"

"You can and you will. I get a discount, plus that's a handmade dress that looks like it was made for you! You have to buy it; I don't think you have a choice."

Rogue gulped. She had never spent more than $100 on a single item of clothing. Spending $500 on one dress just seemed absurd, no matter what Kitty's discount was.

After she had changed out and purchased the dress. Which came to $400 with Kitty's discount, she felt a little better. She knew she could afford the dress, especially since she lived for free and hoarded most of her money anyways. It was just the thought of spending that much money on one date with a man she barely knew.

Just this once, she thought to herself, and then I can wear this dress on every other first date I go on.

* * *

><p>They returned to the mansion after buying Sophie a couple things and Kitty had basically cleaned out the entire mall. She insisted that Rogue buy expensive tights to go with her dress as well as black silk gloves and black heeled booties. After buying the shoes, Rogue tried on the whole ensemble. Even she had to admit that she looked good. She had always looked good in black since it didn't make her seem pale like it did most people and the dress was made to avoid the vampire look so it was overall a great look on her.<p>

Rogue carried all her purchases to her room and hoped to avoid the Cajun so that he couldn't make comments about her buying a new wardrobe just for him or something like that.

Thankfully, he was nowhere in sight so she managed to store her bags in her room before making her way to the Professor's office for their weekly training session.

She knocked softly before opening the door. The Professor sat at his desk concentrating on stack of papers that must have been essays of some sort.

He smiled when he saw her and placed his hand on the stack of papers. "No matter what you teach them, there is always someone who interprets it completely different than what you expected."

Rogue sat down in her normal seat as the Professor brought his chair around his desk to sit in front of her.

"Now, the last time we had a training session, you were able to touch Logan for about 5 seconds before he began to feel the pull of about 5 seconds before he began to feel the pull of your powers. That in itself is quite the amazing feat but I understand you want to do more?" Charles asked her.

"Yes, Ah want to be able to have prolonged contact. Ah want to feel Professor, Ah want to be touched."

The Professor smiled slowly. "All in time my dear, all in time. First let us see what's going on in that mind of yours and then we'll see what Logan is up to."

Rogue could feel the pull of the Professor's mind on hers. This was her least favourite part, the stowing away of all the personalities in her head. They had gotten all the personalities put away, while still maintaining her control over the abilities of the mutants she had touched. The intensity of their ability was dependant on the length of time she had touched them, this was the reason why she had Carol Danvers' powers indefinitely.

Since all the personalities had finally been stowed away, the Professor was at a loss to see what was holding her back from touching normally. He had originally thought it was because her mind was a jumbled mess of different people and so the real Rogue could not keep control over her abilities.

Now, with everything sorted out, he was beginning to think that it had a lot more to do with her fear of hurting someone.

"Rogue, I want you to know that because we now have a way to eliminate the voices eliminate the voices you sometimes hear because of the personalities, I hope you will become more willing to touch. I know that you want to but you must also be willing to do it, physically, emotionally and mentally."

"Ah thought Ah was willin', but Ah'm scared Professor, Ah'm scared of losin' myself amongst all the other people in my head. What if they get too powerful and take over? We don't even know if there is a limit to the amount of people Ah can absorb. How can we be sure that Ah won't just lose my mind because of all this?" Rogue was panicking. She hated seeming weak but she couldn't help it. She was scared. Scared of no longer being herself; of turning into some hybrid of all the voices in her head.

"Rogue, they cannot get in if you don't let them. You must trust yourself first of all."

His words rang true. She realized that she didn't truly trust herself to control the situation, to not let them in unless she wanted to.

"The best way to learn to trust yourself is to practice and show yourself that you are capable. That you are in control of your ability. Your ability does not control you."

He was right. She controlled her ability, not the other way around. She could decide who she wanted to absorb and when. She had that power.

"Ok Professor. Let's get Logan. Ah think Ah'm ready."

"You think you're ready or you are ready?"

Rogue took a deep breath and replied, "Ah am ready."

"Very good."

A few moments later Logan appeared. He sat down on the chair next to Rogue and rolled up his sleeve.

"It's like giving blood once a week." Logan stated with a smile.

"Ah hope it doesn't hurt that bad." She said.

"Not at all Rogue. You got this." He reassured her.

She placed her ungloved hand on his forearm and concentrated on leaving his energy where it was. She concentrated on stopping the pull of her power. It seemed like only moments when the Professor put his hand on her shoulder.

"That's enough for today Rogue, very well done." The Professor said with a smile.

"Yea good job Kid. I didn't feel a thing. It's amazing." Logan agreed.

"How long was it?" Rogue asked expecting an answer of 20 seconds or something equally as tiny.

"20 minutes." The Professor replied.

**Remember people! A review here or there would be just lovely. Keep me updated on your thoughts and such. It only takes a moment :) **

Happy Weekending!


	18. What's for Dinner?

**Hello everyone! I'm very sorry about the long absence, but school will do that. Thankfully, I'm done for the next month, except for a couple exams of course, so you may be hearing from me more!**

Chapter 18: What's for Dinner?

Rogue returned to her room after her session feeling confused yet accomplished. She hadn't believed them when they told her. She refused to believe them even when they swore that it was the truth.

It couldn't be that simple, it just couldn't be. All these years without touch because she couldn't trust herself? It didn't make sense, yet at the same time it did. After her powers manifested, she had never trusted herself to touch another person without hurting them. She always approached human contact apprehensively and didn't engage in it if it wasn't completely necessary.

But now she could touch. How would that change things? How would her life change with this newfound knowledge?

One step at a time, she reminded herself, just take this one step at a time. Make it through tomorrow and your date with that wretched Cajun and then you can contemplate the future.

Rogue pulled out the bag that contained her dress. She held the dress in her hands tenderly. She had never understood why Kitty was so passionate about her clothes, but she was beginning to see. It fit her so perfectly. She put it on a hanger and hung it behind her bathroom door.

She had never believed that a simple piece of fabric could make her feel so good about herself, better than she had felt in years. When her powers manifested, she had felt like a stranger in her own body, like there was someone else in there with her. Each time she absorbed someone it got worse. She felt as if she was pushing herself out of her own body, as if she was being replaced by all the others. They were slowly taking over and it was slowly driving her mad. She did her best to keep a semblance of normalcy for everyone's sake but lately it was getting much too difficult, especially with glimpses of the Cajun's memories sometimes jumbling with her own. It was becoming increasingly difficult to determine which memories where her own and which belonged to someone she had absorbed.

But now, now it was all changing. She could touch without absorbing. She was beginning to feel more comfortable in her own skin. The voices had subsided and she could hear her own thoughts more clearly. Most of all, she trusted herself. She trusted herself not to kill someone with a touch. It may have only been proven once, during controlled sessions with a man who could heal himself but she had touched him and hadn't absorbed him for a full 20 minutes. That was huge.

The dress just seemed to be the icing on the cake.

Rogue remained lost in her own thoughts for quite a while, contemplating life and all its mysteries. She finally came back to reality when her stomach grumbled loudly and she realized that she hadn't eaten since much earlier in the day.

She made her way down to the kitchen, humming to herself quietly. When she got there, she pulled open the fridge and stared intently. As hungry as she was, nothing seemed very appealing. With a small sigh she shut the fridge and went to the cupboards to see what was in there. She must have opened every single cupboard and rummaged through the pantry like a mad woman when she heard someone chuckle behind her.

She turned to see Remy smiling at her, his red on black eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Yah know chère, we could move our date to tonight if you're really dat hungry. Ah know a good place dat will take us no problem."

"Thanks but no thanks Remy, we decided on Friday night so that's when we'll have our date."

Remy shrugged, "Your choice chère but if you're havin' dat much trouble decidin' what to eat, maybe Ah could be of service? Remy can be a mighty fine cook when he wants to."

"What are you suggestin'? Mac and cheese from a box?" Rogue gave him a sideways glance while still looking through the cupboard. She pulled out a blue box and tossed it to him. He caught it and set it down on the counter.

"Now chère, Ah sure hope you ain't mockin' poor Remy here. Ah'm not kiddin' with you, Ah can cook mighty fine, if only you'd let me."

"Alright Cajun, show me what yah got. What are yah plannin' on makin' for me tonight?"

He smiled wide as he opened the fridge, surveying the contents, "Well if da lady does not object, Ah'm proposing a menu of chicken stir-fry with a teriyaki sauce."

"Stir-fry? Why not. Ah hope it doesn't take long, Ah'm mighty hungry." Rogue smiled as she spoke. Remy was sweet and she loved stir-fry though sadly she always seemed to ruin it when she made it herself. If he did a good job, well it might be worth keeping him around.

"Ah'll get straight to work chère, yah won't regret it. It'll be da best stir-fry yah've ever had."

Rogue watched as Remy pulled a pair of chicken breasts out of the fridge as well as green peppers, carrots and other assorted vegetables. He quickly got to work slicing up all the vegetables and the meat. He heated up a wok on the stove and tossed the chicken breast in.

"Ma Tante taught me to cook when dey first adopted me. It felt so good to be able to control what Ah ate, to make it wit' my own hands. Since den, it's it has always been a passion of mine. Good food is hard to beat, but good food made by your own hands is near unbeatable."

An image flashed through Rogue's mind, the one from the Blackbird when she had absorbed Remy. The one where he was running through the streets crying. Just remembering his terror made her shudder.

"How long where you on the streets Remy?"

"A long time chère, longer den Ah care to remember. Ah was probably about 10 when Jean-Luc took me in. It's hard to tell though, Ah was never really one to keep track of ma birthday."

"How old are you now?"

"26. How 'bout you chère?"

"Ah'm 25. But sometimes Ah feel a lot older than that."

Remy put down the spoon he was using to stir the stir-fry and walked over to her. Looking Rogue in the eyes, he put one hand on her shoulder and the other on the island beside her.

"Do you ever feel like you've seen too much for being so young? Like your youth was stolen from you?" Rogue nodded, swallowing nervously. His hand rubbed her shoulder gently, as if he were comforting her.

"Sometimes Ah think about what my life would be like if Ah wasn't a mutant, if Ah didn't have other people floating around in my head. Sometimes Ah wish Ah was normal but most of the time Ah'm just thankful that Ah'm one of the lucky mutants that has a place to sleep, food to eat and good friends. Ah'm thankful for everything the professor has done for me, he gave me family." Rogue replied.

"Just like papa did for me all dose years ago." His eyes looked so sad but at the same time thankful. Rogue was overwhelmed with a feeling she couldn't place, something she'd never really felt before.

She looked him in the eyes and felt herself stiffen as he lowered his face to hers. When their lips met, she froze but didn't pull away.

"Trust yourself." She reminded herself.

And she did. She trusted that she wouldn't hurt this man, this man who made her feel all confused inside, at once angry and frustrated, but also happy and excited.

When she didn't pull away from him, Remy deepened the kiss. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her like he had never kissed a woman before, tenderly yet firmly. He wanted this badly. He wanted to hold her and never let go. It just felt right.

Rogue felt herself being lost in his kiss. She couldn't feel the draw of her powers and that made her glad. They stood together for what seemed like an eternity until Remy sniffed and slowly pulled himself away.

"Dinner's burnin' chère."

Rogue turned and looked. A small column of smoke was rising from the pan as Remy quickly made his way around the island to stir it. No major damage was done.

He whipped up a quick sauce and tossed in some noodles. Soon enough their dinner was ready. They sat in silence as they ate, neither sure what to say to the other. When she had finished her dinner, which was surprisingly delicious even if the chicken was slightly charred, Rogue stood and washed her dishes in the sink. She washed the wok and the utensils, and Remy's dishes when he finished.

"Thanks chère." He said as she took his bowl.

"No thank you Swamp Rat." She said with a smile. Remy felt his heart leap at the name.

They looked at each other for a long time, still unsure of what to say.

"Ah should probably get to my room and finish marking some papers that Ah promised Ah'd hand back to my class tomorrow." Rogue finally said.

"Ah'll walk wit' you chère."

Together they walked up the stairs silently. When they came to Rogue's door, Remy shuffled nervously uncharacteristically, not knowing what to say.

"Good night Remy, Ah'll see you tomorrow for our date." Rogue said. She leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and winked.

She opened her door and slid into her room. With one last look at Remy, she closed the door.

All the composure she had managed to maintain since the kiss disappeared. She was amazed at herself. Just this afternoon she had touched someone without pulling their life force for the first time an only hours later she was kissing someone, and not just a little kiss either. There was so much passion, so much pent up emotion in that one kiss, it was enough to make her head burst.

She quickly busied herself marking history papers. Anything to get her mind off of the kiss and the desire that radiated through her body. It was difficult but she managed to put it out of her mind, at least for the time being.

As she got into bed that night, thoughts and images ran through her mind as they usually did, but this was something she hadn't experienced in a very long time. These thoughts and feelings, they were all her own. Hers and only hers.

That night she dreamed. She dreamed of the Cajun.


End file.
